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Ohio Victory Gardens Program set to Launch

OSU Extension and the Ohio Department of Agriculture are partnering to encourage people to plant a fall victory garden. As you may know, victory gardens are a tradition rooted in the World War I era, and involved citizens growing their own backyard gardens to supply needed food and boost national morale. The Ohio Victory Gardens program will encourage Ohioans to grow a garden to supplement their household food supply, as well as support the needs of local food banks whose supplies have been stretched thin throughout the pandemic. 

Pam Bennett, program director for the Master Gardener Volunteer program, is leading the effort on behalf of OSU Extension. The Ohio Victory Gardens website will house helpful Extension resources for growing, maintaining, and harvesting your backyard garden, a weekly “Gardening Tips” blog, a calendar of virtual Extension workshops, and much more, so please promote it as you engage with your clientele.  

Several counties will be piloting seed distribution to encourage the public – Cuyahoga, Lucas, Franklin, Clark, and Washington. If this goes well, we will distribute seeds throughout the state next year to continue encouraging people to grow vegetables. 

If you have content you are willing to contribute to the website, contact Pam (bennett.27@osu.edu). Resources (videos, fact sheets, etc.) are needed on many topics, such as: soils, planning the garden, season extension, container gardens, pest management, pollinators, seeds, preservation, recipes, and food donation. There will be a weekly blog on the website, and you are welcome to contribute. Visit us at u.osu.edu/OhioVictoryGardens/