This past month, I’ve been thinking a lot about tomatoes.
More specifically, I think about the simple freedom to walk into my backyard, pick a tomato off the vine, and feed my family. That may sound like a small thing, but throughout history, it hasn’t always been.
During both World Wars, Americans were encouraged to plant what became known as “Victory Gardens.” Families transformed front yards, backyards, vacant lots, and school grounds into productive gardens that supplied fresh food for their households and reduced pressure on the national food supply. At their peak, millions of Victory Gardens were producing nearly 40% of the vegetables consumed in the United States.
Pictured above are 1943 U.S. Office of War Information propaganda posters
Ordinary people weren’t waiting for someone else to solve a problem. They rolled up their sleeves, planted seeds, and became part of the solution. There’s something deeply American about that. Not because gardening is patriotic. But because self-reliance is.
The ability to grow a little food, preserve a harvest, share with a neighbor, or teach a child where food comes from is a kind of freedom that generations before us understood well. Somewhere along the way, many of us lost that connection.
Vice President Henry Wallace in his victory garden, 1942. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Food became something that came from a store instead of the soil. Convenience replaced knowledge. We forgot just how empowering it can be to grow even a small portion of what we eat. The good news is that knowledge isn’t gone. Every year, more people are planting gardens, learning to can vegetables, raising backyard chickens, composting kitchen scraps, and rediscovering skills that were once common.
Not because they’re preparing for disaster. Not because they’re trying to make a political statement. But because there’s satisfaction in knowing how to provide for yourself and the people you love.
This Independence Day, while you’re enjoying hamburgers, watermelon, and fireworks, take a moment to appreciate the freedoms that often go unnoticed. The freedom to plant a seed. The freedom to learn a skill. The freedom to work the soil. The freedom to share your harvest. And the freedom to build a life that is a little more connected to the land beneath your feet.
Maybe that’s why gardening feels so meaningful to so many people. It’s not just about growing food. It’s about growing independence.
Happy Independence Day and Happy 250th birthday to the greatest country in the world! God bless America.
