Is it time to start thinking about planting a “Victory Garden” in this “health war” against the COVID-19 Coronavirus?

[Wally]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/business/food-supply-chains-coronavirus/index.html

The coronavirus pandemic has delivered a shock to tens of millions of people in rich countries around the world: Suddenly, they can't buy the food they want, when they want.

Food supply chains in developed economies are showing increased signs of strain as nationwide lockdowns designed to curb the spread of the coronavirusheap pressure on systems that had very little slack to begin with. The result is empty store shelves, and panicked buyers.

The transportation links that move food around the globe are being tested in unprecedented ways. Shipowners are struggling to change crews and move goods between ports. Airlines have grounded thousands of planes, slashing air freight capacity.

Travel restrictions also are clogging up road networks and making it difficult for farm workers to get where they are needed. And at the end of food supply chains, supermarkets that have come to rely on just-in-time deliveries have been upset by huge demand and panic buying.

Global stocks of staple commodities such as wheat, corn and rice are at healthy levels, . . .

Hiten Dodhia, a director of Saturnalia UK, a company that imports high-value fresh produce from Africa and South America and sells it to supermarkets in Europe, said there has been a huge hike in the price of air freight due to the grounding of so many passenger planes. . . .

The biggest problems lie with vegetables that are planted, harvested and shipped over relatively short time frames, such as mangetout, sugar snaps, baby corn, beans and tenderstem broccoli, Dodhia said. He has told some farmers not to plant because it is unclear whether their goods can be moved to market in time.. . .

Is it time to start thinking about and discussing whether “”Victory Gardens” should be considered by private citizens on a nationwide basis to help fight the “war” against this coronavirus, especially if the supply chain for some fruits, vegetables and herbs may be impacted for an extended period of time?

Or will canned, frozen and dried items stored locally or within a readily accessible geographical area be able to meet the demand while waiting for the bigger supply chain to come back up to speed? Only a little bit of a gardener myself, but it would be interesting to learn what edibles could be grown in the fastest amount of time in the next couple of months, in which locations, where delivery logistics would not be so complex and distant.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden

Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany[1][2] during World War I and World War II. In the war time governments encouraged people to plant victory gardens not only to supplement their rations but also to boost morale.[3] George Washington Carver wrote an agricultural tract and promoted the idea of what he called a "Victory Garden".[4] They were used along with Rationing Stamps and Cards to reduce pressure on the public food supply. Besides indirectly aiding the war effort, these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. This made victory gardens a part of daily life on the home front.

 

[andyguitar]

Only a little bit of a gardener myself, but it would be interesting to learn what edibles could be grown in the fastest amount of time in the next couple of months, in which locations, where delivery logistics would not be so complex and distant.

As a long term gardener with a fairly big plot I share with 2 other people, what to grow has been a subject of much debate. No changes for us. just the usual root veg and soft fruit. When it comes to what might be in short supply in the UK this year the problem is not growing things its getting enough workers to harvest. Every year thousands of workers, mainly from eastern europe come over to work. There was a news item a few days ago about them not coming this year.

 

[Wally]

https://www.curbed.com/platform/amp/2019/4/18/18485032/urban-gardening-products-supplies-to-buy

A gardening guide for small-space dwellers

In the area that I live in, hardware stores and garden nurseries are considered an essential business and the larger hardware stores often carry gardening supplies including seeds and plants and they are open for walk-in business. Checked on the larger nursery chains in my area and they seem to be open, but most only allow pick-up and delivery of supplies and plants. Walking through a nursery checking out all the plants was something I loved to do, so relaxing and a feast for the eyes and nose. No parks, no beaches and no nurseries - thankful that our shelter in place lockdown still allows for taking a walk/drive outside to see my neighbor’s frontyard garden landscaping.
🌳🌴🍁🍄🌞🌷🌻🌺🍋🍊

 

[Sushi]

My small community is planting a garden and we also have about 10 fruit trees. We plant a garden every year and manage to harvest a lot of vegetables and fruit.

 

[Jyoti]

I just had a friend come over and dig up a section of my yard for vegetables. I planted for quick results, partly because it is spring and many of the vegetables that like cooler weather grow pretty quickly, but also because I am poised in the midst of a move, not sure when or if I will ever able to make it. Planting crops that are ready sooner was my compromise.

I planted: carrots, radishes, sugar snap peas, bush beans, arugula, and mixed lettuces as a start. I think I might try to get some cherry tomato plants and pickling cucumber seeds to put in as I have more space....

 

[Wishful]

No, it is too early to start thinking of planting a garden, at least here in central Alberta. It was -29C yesterday morning. There's still about a foot of snow covering my garden. Planting time here is late May, by which time the panic should hopefully be over.

I suppose if I was desperate, I could snare bunnies and eat spruce inner bark.

 

[Wally]

I don’t think adopting or fostering a cow 🐮 will be feasible for most people, so I doubt we will see widespread mini “Victory Dairy Farms” popping up, but here is what is going on in the U.S. re dairy products such as milk.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-da...4LxRa1RtdZxmwGFx-tIV7V0xWgUrtyoYc7F8jA4WAd3O6

Dairy farmer Jason Leedle felt his stomach churn when he got the call on Tuesday evening.

"We need you to start dumping your milk," said his contact from Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), the largest U.S. dairy cooperative.

Despite strong demand for basic foods like dairy products amid the coronavirus pandemic, the milk supply chain has seen a host of disruptions that are preventing dairy farmers from getting their products to market.

Mass closures of restaurants and schools have forced a sudden shift from those wholesale food-service markets to retail grocery stores, creating logistical and packaging nightmares for plants processing milk, butter and cheese. Trucking companies that haul dairy products are scrambling to get enough drivers as some who fear the virus have stopped working. And sales to major dairy export markets have dried up as the food-service sector largely shuts down globally. . . .

"Now is the time to consider a little extra culling of your herds," the cooperative said in a March 17 letter to members. "We believe the ability to pick up and process your milk could be compromised."