BlO—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 27,1980
Gardening grows
through the years
BURLINGTON, Vermont
The ranks of modern-day
Victory gardeners swelled
by about one million in 1980 -
and by nine million in the
past decade - as Americans
dug into their own back
yards in an attempt to get
control over rising prices.
The new 1980-81 National
Gardening Survey, con
ducted by the Gallup
Organization for Gardens for
All, the Nonprofit National
Association for Gardening,
shows than 43 percent of
America’s households - some
34 million - produced some of
all of their own vegetables in
1980.
That’s an increase of nine
million over 1971, the first
year for which survey in
formation is available. By
comparison, there were an
estimated 18 million Victory
Gardens in 1943 at the height
of World War 11, when 49
percent of all households had
food gardens'
Food gardening is now one
of America's most popular
leisure activities, out
distancing jogging, tennis
and golf
“Food gardening is a
mirror of society,” says
Jack Robinson, president of
Gardens for All. “At the
beginning of the decade we
were involved with Vietnam
protest, space adventures
and the promise of electronic
technology ahead. We y were
preoccupied with " big,
cosmic issues and gardening
was at a low point.”
He adds, “This year the
survey reveals the gardener
as a pace-setter in an
emerging lifestyle
characterized by personal
technology and home
productivity In the face of
increasing inflation and
.economic and political
uncertainty, the gardener is
taking charge where he or
she is able - at home and in
the community
“At a time when American
industrial productivity is
declining and is a source of
widespread concern, the
gardener is among a
minority that is increasing
personal productivity and
self-reliance These
traditional American values
are being recast in a sensible
lifestyle for the 80’s. ”
Gardens for All sponsors
the Gallup Survey annually
This year it is based on 6,000
at home interviews and an
m-depth questionnaire in
volving 1,500 gardeners. The
full 180-page survey is
available for $l5O from
Gardens for All (Dept.
0201 N) 180 Flynn Avenue,
Burlington, Vermont 05401
Among other findings this
year:
-Food gardening is on the
increase even though most
other kinds of gardening
showed a decline in 1980.
-Vegetables are going into
pots - to be grown. In ad
dition to the 34 million
households who have
traditional back yard gar
dens, eight million
households are growing
vegetables on porches,
patios and decks in some
sort of container.
-Despite terrible weather
problems throughout the
country, the total retail
value of home food
production has hit an all
time high of $l5 billion.
-Not only is the number of
gardens increasing, the
typical size this year in
creased to 663 square feet
compared to 595 square feet
last year. More than 20
percent of the people who
had gardens this year in
creased the size.
-The Midwest is the
number one gardening
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region in the country with 54
percent of the households
involved The East and
South follow with 41 and 42
percent respectively. The
West has only 28 percent and
has an 11 point decline over
three years
-Availability of gardening
space keeps many interested
people out of gardening. A
projected 14 million
households are interested in
having a garden but have no
gardening space
Says Kbbmson, "The
people who-are moving in the
direction of self reliance are
giving some new twists to old
ideas. More and more are
using intensive, wide-row
methods of gardening to
make the most of limited
space Technology is up
dating the use of the ancient
fuels of wood, coal and the
sun
“To this group, the home is
again being viewed as a
center for production, not
just a center for con
sumption, which has been
the case since World War 11,
“We have to consider that
all this has something to do
with personal satisfaction,
not just pure economics
People like to be able to
make a difference, and in
home production they can,”
said Robinson
Gardens for All is a
national membership
organization for people
interested in becoming more
successful home food gar
deners.
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