"Three Acres and Liberty" by Bolton Hall

There is so much conventional wisdom to be learned from Bolton Hall. Three Acres and Liberty was published a hundred years ago, and yet it seems that it was written for today. Its an utterly humbling read. In the foreword Bolton Hall describes the aquaistion of resources in the 1920's, whether it be the exploitation of forest, reclamation of lands, or the utilization of swamps, its all quite blaze'. Looking for a guide to growing your own victory garden, well than look not farther... dan-an-da. Check out chapter 12 on cold-pack canning of fruits and vegtables, simple enough for the average 12 year old .

We are not tied to a desk or to a bench; we stay there
only because we think we are tied.

In Montana I had a horse, which was hobbled every night
to keep him from wandering; that is, straps joined by
a short chain were put around his forefeet, so that he
could only hop. The hobbles were taken off in the
morning, but he would still hop until he saw his
mate trotting off.

This book is intended to show how any one can trot off
if he will.

~Bolton Hall, Three Acres and Liberty

"Don't Waste Food While Others Starve"

If there is a vacant lot in your neighborhood, see if you cannot get the use of it for yourself and your neighbors, and raise your own vegetables. An hour a day spent in this way will not only increase wealth and help your family, but will help you personally by adding to your strength and well-being and making you appreciate the Eden joy of gardening. An hour in the open air is worth more than a dozen expensive prescriptions by an expensive doctor.

The only tools necessary for a small garden are a spade or spading fork, a hoe, a rake, and a line or piece of cord.

First of all, clear the ground of all rubbish, sticks, stones, bottles, etc. (especially whisky bottles).

Choose the sunniest spot in the yard for your garden.

Dig up the soil to a depth of 6 to 10 inches, using a spade or spading fork.

(Deeper for parsnips and some other roots. Ed.) Break up all the lumps with the spade or fork. If you live in a section where your neighbors have gardens, you might club together to hire a teamster for a day to do the plowing and harrowing for you all, thus saving a large amount of labor.

"Don't Waste Food While Others Starve" (ca. 1917-1919)United States Food Administration Poster - Contributor: L.C. Clinker. Artist: M.J. Dwyer. Source: National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD (NWDNS-4-P-145)

What is the Food Co-op?

The Food Co-op is Fort Collins' original natural foods store. We specialize in organically and locally grown produce and groceries at affordable prices. We also offer an extensive bulk selection including grains, trail mixes, beans, cruelty-free body care and cleaning products and various liquids such as tamari, honey, and oils. The reuse of bags and containers when purchasing bulk products is encouraged because it's cheaper and better for the environment.

Become a Member!

The Food Co-op is a not for profit, member driven store. Members can be involved in the organization and operation of the store. Every member has the opportunity to vote on proposed significant changes and annual board of directors elections.

"Shoot to Kill"

Growing a Victory Garden demanded more than just saying a little rhyme and hoping for the best while putting seeds in the ground.

One for the blackbird,
one for the crow,
one for the cutworm,
and one to grow.
- A Traditional American saying

Like all gardens, the Victory Garden needed cultivating, fertilizing, weeding, watering, and protection from voracious pests. Posters were made even to remind gardeners to spray the bugs.

ARC Identifier: 515408 SHOOT TO KILL - PROTECT YOUR VICTORY GARDEN , 1941 - 1945 Still Picture Records LICON, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD.

The Rocky Mountain Small Organic Farm Project - Variety Trials

Artichokes	Beans
Broccoli	Brussels Sprouts and Kale
Cauliflower	Celery
Flowers	Leeks
Onions	Peppers
Pumpkins	Radicchio
Sweet and Ornamental Corn	Winter Squash

The Rocky Mountain Small Organic Farm Project - Variety Trials

Beans	Beets and Carrots
Brussels Sprouts and Kale	Cabbage
Celery	Eggplant
Leeks	Melons
Peppers	Tomatoes
Radicchio	Spinach
Winter Squash	Zucchini and Summer Squash

Plant a Little Garden in Your Own Back Yard

(A Victory / Liberty Garden Song)

This cover features cute cartoon showing three people tending their own Victory / Liberty gardens in the backyards. The song doesn't specifically mention the war, just the sky high prices of food. It also encourages you to do the planting and stop griping because of a Biblical saying that "you all have heard a heap..."

Words by Walter Hirsch & Bert Lewis
Music by Walter Leopold
Copyright: 1917 by Forster Music, Chicago
Original retail price: 12¢

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
I've been reading in the papers that the price of food is high,
"Cut the prices, cut the prices," is the Nation's cry.
Now I've got a dandy little scheme that you all should try.
Go and raise the things you need, the things too high to buy.

Chorus:
Plant a little garden in your own back yard
Where the green grass used to grow.
Plant some nice potatoes, and some red tomatoes,
Buy a rake and hoe.
You'll have plenty for the wife and kiddies bye and bye,
You should worry if the prices go up to the sky,
Take my advice
And plant a little garden in your own backyard.

Verse 2:
There's a saying in the Bible that you all have heard a heap,
Just get busy, just get busy, don't you fall asleep.
Nevermind the man across the street, your own council keep,
The Bible says that as you sow, that is the way you'll reap.

(Repeat Chorus)

"Food is a Weapon"

Office of War Information poster, no. 58. 1943. WWII

Paralleling the federal government's program of increased production of food was their program to curtail waste. Families were encouraged to eat their leftovers and "lick their plate clean."

President Roosevelt in a message to Congress on October 31, 1943, stated that "Food is as important as any other weapon in the successful prosecution of the war. It will be equally important in rehabilitation and relief in the liberated areas, and in shaping the peace that is to come." Roosevelt passed away on April 12, 1945

Approximate Availability Schedule
vegetable	late June	July	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.
Asian greens	x	x	x	x	x
beets	x	x	x	x	x
broccoli and raab		x	x	x	x
cabbage; heading and Chinese		x	x	x	x
carrot	x	x	x	x	x
cauliflower, purple		x		x
chard , rainbow	x	x	x	x	x
cucumber		x	x	x
eggplant , globe and more!			x	x
flowers		x	x	x
beans; roma, purple, and yard long		x	x	x
herbs , variety			x	x	x
kale	x	x	x	x	x
kohlrabi	x	x	x	x	x
leeks		x	x	x	x
melon			x	x
okra		x	x	x
onions		x	x	x	x
ornamental corn					x
peas	x
peppers ; bell, roasting, hot			x	x
pumpkin					x
radish , daikon and round	x	x	x	x	x
salad greens	x	x	x	x	x
spinach	x	x	x	x
summer squash and zucchini		x	x	x
sweet corn		x	x	x
turnip	x	x	x	x	x
tomato			x	x
winter squash				x	x

"Plant a Victory Garden"

Office of War Information poster, no. 34. 1943. 28 x 22.

This poster was part of the publicity for a brilliantly mounted campaign to encourage the use of homegrown foods. Because commercially canned goods were rationed, the Victory Garden became an indispensable source of food for the home front. The Victory Garden was a household activity during the war and one of the most well received of all home front chores. At its peak, it is estimated that nearly 20,000,000 gardens were grown and about 40 percent of all vegetables produced in the U.S. came from Victory Gardens. By the end of the war the Department of Agriculture estimated total home front production of over one million tons of vegetables valued at 85 million dollars.

The Victory Gardens of WWII remain a vivid memory for many Americans who experienced them. Across the nation, home canning and preserving of farm produce flourished so that more supplies would be made available for our troops. The idea was simple in conception and inexpensive for the individual American at home to carry out. Of all the advertising techniques used to make Americans feel a part of the war effort, this was perhaps the most successful. The Victory Garden fulfilled the requirements of a good advertising campaign: that it attracts a broad and sympathetic audience at a reasonable price.

Food not Lawns

I have never read the book by Heather Flores entitled Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community. Shown here teaching a class on seed saving. But I love some of the reviews that are on Amazon.com. Check out Heathers rebut in the comment section. Ouch.

27 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

completely false advertising, July 4, 2007

By	CASL Director "Donnie" (Eugene, OR USA) - See all my reviews

I see that this books appears a hit with many reviewers, but I am unfortunately going to dissent. I was excited to read this book when it arrived and was subsequently dissappointed in the overall quality of the work as a whole. First and foremost, Flores leaves out a great deal of detail with regard to the actual work involved in any form of agriculture, be it animal husbandry, permaculture, or anything between. I say this not only as an avid reader, but also an environmental studies major reviewing the work for a class as well. Second, Flores' method of combining the topics of agriculture and social change is facetious at best, with no real segway from the former to the latter. In other words, this is literally two unconnected books sharing the same binding. Finally, and most disheartening of all, the work gives faulty advice at best, especially with regard to her advice on dealing with numerous aspects of gardening (traditional and permaculture), pending jail time, and conflict management strategies(with latter are potentially dangerous). I will also note that I resold this book immediately upon completion due to the above. Those interested would be better served to read The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, or other such related books by other reputable authors such as Joseph Jenkins, Eliot Coleman, Louise Riotte, or John and Martha Storey. In short, do not purchase this book if you are serious about either agriculture or social change.

Heather C. Flores says:

wow. ouch.

I do disagree with this critique, especially considering that Food Not Lawns started as an academic document and was subject to meticulous review by a panel of experts before it was published. It is based on over a decade of real practice and experience and while no book is without errors, I do believe this one to be useful, helpful, and accurate.

They tell me to ignore the critics, but I feel everyone's opinion is valid and interesting, whether I agree with them or not. Anyway it's nice to see my book provoke such spirited replies!

Best of luck!

I love what you can find on wiki. Here is a scratch pad from Bob Jones who isstarting up the Grow Not Lawns. Damn.... horrible sounding name compared to Grow don't Mow... Maybe I should trade mark it or someding. Here goes the important parts. But if you want to check it out its here.

Fantastic meeting yesterday morning. This meeting was pulled together with less than 24 hours notice and 10 people showed up! The bottom line is- We are excited about charging ahead to get organized to do this work even if we haven't figured out exactly what we will do or when or how. Much enthusiasm...

Summary/Conclusion? Based on the above comments of individuals at the meeting, it would seem like the main focus/interest is on filling the need to help people learn how to grow their own food locally with a preference toward doing organic/not chemical based gardening. Are we in general agreement about this? Is this the essence of a mission statement?

When to start this work? The consensus seemed to be to start slowly. Many are busy this summer. Some suggestions were to recruit people this summer, do research on what other groups are doing, develop a flyer or brochure in time for the fair 9/15 and have a realistic goal of doing garden prep for perhaps 10 people this fall. It will also give more individuals time to read the book, Food Not Lawns, by Heather Flores, which is excellent.

Wormbulance = Local Hero

You may have seen the Wormbulance. And wondered about his worms. He has sold me a bucket of worms. 5$ They are damn fine worms. redworms, Eisenia foetida . Here check out an interview with New Belgium. He is in the middle of his photo shoot but that doesn't stop him from shedding a little light.

"Knowledge Should be Free... that is Sustainable"

Wormulater
Avantgardner

HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION - Radical Change Taking Root

Here is an inspirational piece on a family from Pasadena,California who have converted their property in a Victory Garden of their own.

HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION - Radical Change Taking Root

Local Group starts Food Not Lawns

We all know Fort Collins is a green town. Some times the Colorado State campus seems to be the emerald city with the amount of grass that is planted. Imagine if all that grass was food. Food not Lawns, wants to make this a reality. Maybe not the CSU campus but FNL wants to help you turn your lawn into something more. Here is a introduction from Bob Jones webpage entitled, Grow Food Not Lawns. Building Community One Garden at a Time

Growing healthy food is essential to our survival as a species. The idea of growing food not lawns is to encourage individuals to start a low cost organic vegetable garden to replace part of their lawn. Recently a group of us decided to start a Food Not Lawns (FNL) project in Fort Collins, Co. Our goals are to increase local food production, build healthy soils, increase self sufficiency, reduce the amount of water wasted on lawns and encourage the sharing of excess produce to build community. We will do this through education and hands on work helping individuals to start and maintain vegetable gardens.

For more information visit
FNL

My favorite part, "Backyard vegetable gardens is an idea whose time has come again. During WWI, the Depression and WWII, they were known as Victory Gardens and were needed and supplied 40% of food needed. Now the incentive is higher food prices and the desire for healthy food. These backyard gardens have the potential to be a key component in local food production along with community supported agriculture (CSA’s), community gardens and farmer’s markets."

Grow Not Mow
Avantgardner

Why Mow?

This is a paraphrase of Why Mow? from Michael Pollen. Mr. Pollan works are very inspirational. I would like to endorse his new book in Defense of Food.

"Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants"
Avantgardner

I tired of the endless circuit, pushing the howling mower back and forth across the vast page of my yard, recopying the same green sentence over and over: “I am a conscientious homeowner. I share your middle-class values...

…The more serious about gardening I became, the more dubious lawns seemed…I became convinced that lawn care had about as much to do with gardening as floor-waxing, or road paving. Gardening was a subtle process of give-and-take with the landscape, a search for some middle ground between culture and nature. A lawn was nature under culture’s boot.

Mowing the lawn, I felt like I was battling the earth rather than working it; each week it sent forth a green army and each week I beat it back with my infernal machine. Unlike every other plant in my garden, the grasses were anonymous, massified, deprived of any change or development whatsoever, not to mention any semblance of self-determination. I ruled a totalitarian landscape.

~Michael Pollan, Second Nature

"Grow a Garden"

.GROW FREE FOOD .CONSERVE FUEL .SAVE MONEY