Coronavirus Pandemic Generates Revival Of 'Victory Gardens,' Says Corby Kummer

Female hands picking fresh tomatoes to wooden crate with vegetables. — Organic garden at summer harvest

Hannah Uebele is a producer for Under the Radar with Callie Crossley and previously worked as associate producer for Boston Public Radio. She graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in English and Environmental Studies. She's a proud Delawarean but has found herself saying "wicked" more and more often, so the Bostonian metamorphosis is well underway.Contact: hannah_uebele@wgbh.org

March 27, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Friday about the revival of "victory gardens" during the coronavirus crisis.

"Victory gardens in World War I and especially in World War II were promoted as ways to keep reserves from farms for fighting troops," he said. "And if you, the consumer, grew your own produce, you would be self-sufficient and allow the country's farmers' produce to be bought by the military and used for the war effort."

Food supply anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic has caused a demand for personal gardens, Kummer noted.

"Now 'victory gardens' are being revived to feed people," he said. "Even though the idea of self-sufficiency is very appealing, I would much rather be helping farmers trying to stay in business."

Kummer is a senior editor at The Atlantic, an award-winning food writer, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy.