The United States School Garden Army (USSGA), was founded by the Bureau of Education [1] [2] in 1917 during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson's. [3] Wilson described gardening as "just as real and patriotic an effort as the building of ships or the firing of cannon" [4] and opined that "food will win the war". [5] The USSGA was set up to encourage gardening among school children, in the hopes of preventing a potential food scarcity after World War I. [6] Funding for the entity comes from the War Department. [5]
The Bureau of Education distributed manuals and guides (featuring data on soil health) [7] across the nation to children ages 9–15 [8] and their teachers. By Armistice Day, a large number of American children had answered the call to become "Soldiers of the Soil". [9] War Gardens are now known as Victory Gardens. [10]
The United States School Garden Army (USSGA), was founded by the Bureau of Education [1] [2] in 1917 during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson's. [3] Wilson described gardening as "just as real and patriotic an effort as the building of ships or the firing of cannon" [4] and opined that "food will win the war". [5] The USSGA was set up to encourage gardening among school children, in the hopes of preventing a potential food scarcity after World War I. [6] Funding for the entity comes from the War Department. [5]
The Bureau of Education distributed manuals and guides (featuring data on soil health) [7] across the nation to children ages 9–15 [8] and their teachers. By Armistice Day, a large number of American children had answered the call to become "Soldiers of the Soil". [9] War Gardens are now known as Victory Gardens. [10]