Victory!

Back in the post-Depression can-do years, people planted victory gardens to help feed their families. Any square of sod or empty lot was fair game. So why not go retro and plant your own victory garden? If you don’t have yard space, start by looking for a plot in a community garden. The Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition (www.saccommunitygardens.org) lists local gardens and seasonal planting charts, and they’re working on a tool pool for lending garden gear. Bill Maynard of the SACGC says, “We’ve been swamped with calls, and there are a lot of waiting lists for community plots. Nine churches are starting community gardens right now, so you might have more luck with them.” For details, contact Maynard at (916) 508-6025 or <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">{ document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,97,32,104,114,101,102,61,34,109,97,105,108,116,111,58,115,97,99,103,99,64,117,108,105,110,107,46,110,101,116,34,62,115,97,99,103,99,64,117,108,105,110,107,46,110,101,116,60,47,97,62)) } </script>. You can also search for local sources of seeds, such as Bountiful Gardens (www.bountifulgardens.org) in Willits; they have heirloom, open-pollinated seeds for sustainable growing as well as lots of books on biointensive farming (getting a lot from a small space).