United States School Garden Army
The United States School Garden Army , was founded in 1917, during the tenure of President Wooodrow Wilson. Wilson described gardening as “just as real and patriotic an effort as the building of ships or the firing of cannon”, and opined that "food will win the war". The USSGA was set up to encourage gardening among school children, in the hopes of preventing a potential food scarcity after the War.Although the USSGA was created by the Bureau of Education, it was and continues to be funded by the War Department.The Federal Bureau of Education distributed Manuals and Guides across the nation to children aged 9 - 15, and their teachers, the guide contained gardening information and soil health. By Armistice Day, a large number of American children had answered the call to become "Soldiers of the Soil". War Gardens are now known as Victory Gardens.
