The Return of the Victory Garden The victory garden or home garden was something that was very popular during the First and Second World Wars. People would grow their own produce to help local food supplies and to ease pressure on the local economy. At that time, nearly one-third of the vegetables produced in the United States came from home gardening (Wikipedia.org). Since then there has been a massive decline in the home garden. Store-bought produce became commonplace and as a result people stopped growing their own food. However, by encouraging home gardening, communities can have sustainable and more nutritious produce readily available. Homegrown fruits and vegetables are the freshest produce you can eat. On top of that he is also the healthiest (Harding). Produce begins to lose nutrients as soon as it is harvested. When you consider the time from harvest to arrival at the distribution center and then trip to the supermarket, they have already lost much of their nutritional value. That value continues to get worse the longer they are on supermarket shelves. However, the home grown produce is literally fresh from the garden. Therefore, your fruits and vegetables will be full of vital nutrients and taste better. Home garden produce will be more organic than anything you can find at the supermarket. Organic produce is grown without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers (recycleworks.org). The large farms that supply most grocery stores do not use organic methods. They spray their fields and crops with a variety of chemicals that are absorbed into the produce and into the soil. Therefore, whenever you get your produce from… middle of paper… there has been an increase in interest in gardening (Wikipedia.org). Home gardens provide people with the freshest, best-tasting fruits and vegetables. Encourage healthy eating habits, especially in children, by teaching them how to grow their own food. The product is better for you by eliminating all harsh chemicals used on commercial farms. Plus, it's better for the environment by reducing fossil fuel use and carbon emissions. All people should celebrate the return of the victory garden. Works Cited Cromell, Cathy. Composting for dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, 2010. Print.Harding, Anne. health.com/health/article/0,,20507878,00.html. July 5, 2011. Web. April 30, 2014. recycleworks.org/compost/sustainable_gardening.html. 2014. Web. 30 April 2014. wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden. April 5, 2014. Web. April 30 2014.