World War II seems like a distant memory, but one of its most vital home front programs is seeing resurgence. “Victory gardens” were promoted as an act of patriotism by the United States, Canadian and British governments. By growing their own food, citizens were aiding the war effort by funneling produce import funds to military programs. Victory gardens were planted in backyards, vacant lots, and public spaces in metro areas: London, New York City, Boston, Minneapolis and our beloved San Francisco – 250 plots right in Golden Gate Park. Forty percent of the United States vegetables were grown in victory gardens during World War II.

Local and regional diets continue to grow in popularity. Food prices continue to rise and ingredients are traveling an average of 1500 miles from the soil to our serving trays. What’s a concerned citizen to do? Plant a modern victory garden! That’s what the city of San Francisco is saying with a new project headed up by Slow Food USA and Victory Gardens 2008+.

Starting July 2nd, volunteers began cultivating the 10,000 square feet in front of San Francisco City Hall. Professional gardeners to city-loving soil virgins are pitching in to make the project a reality. Over 60 years have passed since City Hall has had an edible garden. The land is still being prepared for planting - by fall, beets, lettuce, kale and other heirloom vegetables will be ready for the picking. This is a change for all residents to see sustainability in action and experience the benefits of hard, honest work.

The Slow Food Nation Victory Garden is part of the upcoming Slow Food Nation Event on August 29th to September 1st. The first ever event of its kind, the SFNE will be held at the Civic Center and Fort Mason Center. According to the event’s website, “the event will provide an opportunity to connect us to American farmers and producers, learn their stories and give consumers the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the role we all play in preserving America’s landscape and food traditions.”

Volunteers are still welcome to participate in the garden’s preparations and its harvest in September - simply send an email to info@slowfoodnation.org with “Victory Garden” in the subject line. Slow Food will also be holding workshops during the garden’s growth period; we’ll be adding those details to the Greenopia calendar when they are available. Can’t volunteer? Keep track of the garden’s developments on the Slow Food Nation Event blog.