WASHINGTON, DC – March 13, 2019 – Green America marked a major milestone this month: over 1,000 registered Climate Victory Gardens in the U.S., a major achievement on the road to the target for 2019 of 5,000 such carbon-capturing plots for fruit and vegetables. The existing 1,100 Climate Victory Gardens already equal 140 football fields of healthy plants that are healing the soil. Green America took note of the occasion to release Climate Victory Gardening 101: A toolkit for growing healthy food for a healthy planet.
The Climate Victory Garden 101 Toolkit details step-by-step instructions for planting a Climate Victory Garden and 10 carbon capturing practices.
Climate Victory Gardens were inspired by the “Victory Gardens” planted during WWI and WWII. By 1944, nearly
20 million victory gardens produced eight million tons of food to feed Americans at home and for the troops abroad. The Climate Victory Garden campaign seeks to recreate this spirit to empower Americans to take immediate action on climate change, right in their own backyards.
The announcement comes as U.S. gardening levels are hitting an all-time high. According to the National Gardening Survey, 77 percent of American households are gardening, and Millennials are increasingly taking part. Green America’s Climate Victory Gardens program and toolkit show them how to practice gardening in a way that creates healthy soils that can help to reverse climate change.
“The climate change data is clear, and we all need to take action to protect the planet,” said Jes Walton, food campaigns manager at Green America. “If you’re looking for a way to reduce your impact on the climate, then Climate Victory Gardens are one great way to do your part—the amazing fruit and vegetables you grow will be a bonus. We like to think of what we are doing as the Green (Thumb) New Deal!”
“Climate Victory Gardens are a great way to address two major problems at once: climate change and the lack of access to healthy foods faced by millions of Americans,” said Jillian Semaan, food campaigns director at Green America. “We’re exciting to see people planting Climate Victory Gardens in communities across the U.S. and around the world, helping people eat fresh food while sequestering carbon.”
“I believe that growing things, especially our own food, is an act of preservation and will ultimately save us,” said Catherine M.F., who has a Climate Victory Garden in Minneapolis.
“I feel connected to the earth and to myself when I am working in my garden, it’s my meditation,” said Yolanda W., who has a Climate Victory Garden in Colorado.
“I’m excited to supplement my family’s food with fresh herbs and produce that we grow. It makes a positive difference for us,” said Monica F., who has a Climate Victory Garden in Arlington, Virginia.
The Climate Victory Garden 101 Toolkit outlines the following carbon-capturing practices for Americans looking to transform their home garden into a Climate Victory Garden:
- Grow Edible Plants
- Keep Soils Covered
- Compost
- Encourage Biodiversity
- Plant Perennials
- Ditch the Chemicals
- Integrate Crops and Animals
- Use People Power, Not Mechanization
- Rotate Plants and Crops
- Get to Know Your Garden
More information on Climate Victory Gardens is available here: https://www.greenamerica.org/climate-victory-gardens. Climate Victory Gardens across the U.S. are being mapped here: https://www.greenamerica.org/climate-victory-gardens-map.
On March 20, Green America will hold a webinar on Climate Victory Garden planning, design, and how to grow $700 worth of produce with limited space. The webinar is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required.
ABOUT GREEN AMERICA
Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today’s social and environmental problems. http://www.GreenAmerica.org
