"By All Means, Save the Beans"

A very controversial act was passed in 1917.  It was called the Lever Act, named after the man who sponsored it, Rep. Asbury F. Lever of South Carolina.  President Woodrow Wilson urged its passing stating it was necessary as a wartime emergency measure.  It was officially called "An Act to Provide Further for the National Security and Defense by Encouraging the Production, Conserving the Supply, and Controlling the Distribution of Food Products and Fuel", and it became law on August 10, 1917.

One of the major complaints about the Act as that it empowered the President to limit or even prohibit the use of crops in the production of alcoholic beverages. When passed it did, in fact, prohibit the production of "distilled spirits" from produce that could be used as food.

The Act had to be implemented as it did not impact the American public in itself. The United States Food Administration was created, which replaced the existing volunteer organization.  Each state was responsible for assuring that the supplies of food during the war were distributed and that conservation measures were taken. Voluntary agreements were sought.  The Administration had two subsidiaries:  the U.S. Grain Corporation, and the U.S. Sugar Equalization Board.

Another issue was to prevent monopolies and hoarding.  In August of 1919, the President asked Congress to extend the act so that increases in the prices of commodities could be addressed, and also he asked for amendments that would include clothing and set penalties for any profiteering.  In October of that year the extension was granted, and the next two months saw the DOJ launching 179 prosecutions.

The good old days, before GMO corn and other crops.

Herbert Hoover lobbied for the job of administrator, convincing President Wilson that an individual should run it and not a board.  He accepted the position and refused any salary, feeling it would make his moral conviction stronger when asking the public to sacrifice to support the war effort.  His goal was to lead people back to a simpler life, especially simpler food.

Homeowners were urged to sign pledge cards that testified to their efforts.  The government boards, which included the Fuel Administration and the War Industries Board, began promoting wheatless Mondays and Wednesdays, meatless Tuesdays, porkless Tuesdays and Saturdays, and sweetless Saturdays.  Victory gardens were encouraged and planted with slogans like "By all means, save the beans".  Children were organized into the U.S. School Garden Army.

Compliance in all programs was voluntary.  However, the baking industry, which included restaurants and hotels, were limited to producing "Victory Bread" which was originally made with 5% grains other than wheat.  This was eventually raised to 20%.

The Fuel Administration was led by Harry Garfield and its goal was to save coal. The federal government had complete control over the coal industry, but had much less authority over oil and natural gas.  It had no authority to control the prices of oil and natural gas.  The public was encouraged to save fuel with gasless Sundays, heatless Mondays, and lightless nights.

The Fuel Administration was ended in May of 1919.  The Food Administration declined after the armistice, but had effectively disappeared by July of 1920.  The amended Act was officially repealed on March 3, 1921.

A lot of these measures seem like they should be repeated in light of living a cleaner, simpler, and much healthier life.  We could certainly use less monopolies, but having today's Congress set penalties for monopolies and profiteering?  Hardly possible, but we can always dream.  After all, there is a precedent for it, and it worked...

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Images from Wikimedia Commons.

To see about a current exhibition on the government's

effects on the American diet, click here.

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Where There's Dirt, There's a Way!

World War I poster by James Montgomery Flagg, 1918.

Gardening is the new old trend.  With the economy being what it is, the return of consumers to real food, which we now call "organic", and the green push to eat locally harvested produce, more and more people are making the attempt to grow their own food.  This is leading to some new and inventive ways of doing it.

World War II poster from the U.S. GPO,
by artist Morley, 1945. 

In the 1940s, "victory" gardens were planted to help with war rations.  Recent figures I read claim that nine million tons were produced in the U.S., and the efforts produced 40% of the veggies consumed nationally.  In Great Britain, it is estimated that $1.2 billion worth of produce was grown by the end of the WWI, in five million gardens.  When people grew their own produce, it freed the produce on the market to be purchased by the military to feed the troops, and it was available at lower costs.

Handbook from April, 1944, image courtesy of this site

The postwar boom had housing being built with yards big enough for gardens, but most people went for lawns - the greener and more weed-free the better.  Some people grew their own produce still, but until recent years it wasn't a trend. Container gardening did become popular, both for homeowners and apartment dwellers, especially when people found they could grow some produce in containers.  Herbs were commonly grown in pots, but soon people found they could grow tomatoes, lettuce, and other veggies.

Various containers are used here - from wooden boxes to tires.

One type of container that is becoming popular to use is plastic swimming pools. They can be placed on the ground, patio or pavement, or even rooftops.  They are great for sites with poor or contaminated soil, and even in harsh climates can last 5-6 years.  Drain holes are made about 2" from the bottom to drain off too much water, while still keeping a small reservoir.

Here pools are used to create little mini-gardens.  This image and the one
above courtesy of this site, which has lots of good info.

In the 70s, community gardens started flourishing.  Today they are an important part of urban renewal in some areas, and make use of vacant land that would be wasted otherwise.  It also is less time-consuming, as the labor and costs are shared. Some are parceled off in allotments, each participant receiving their own little portion of land to grow what they wish.

A community garden in D.C. in 2006.

One of the coolest techniques is rooftop gardening.  This method uses the otherwise unused space on top of a structure's roof, which receives the sun, and provides insulation to the structure, significantly cooling it in hot months.  Roof load capacity is a critical determinant of whether this type of gardening is applicable to any structure.  Hydroponics, where plants are grown in a soilless medium and fed a special nutrient solution is the lightest option.  Accessibility and water supply are two other concerns, but if it can be done not only does it benefit the gardeners, but also birds, butterflies, and other creatures we share the earth with.

This is the rooftop garden of Eagle Street, over a warehouse in Brooklyn.

Vertical gardens were first planted by architects in the 80s to help cool buildings. Also called green walls, they are being employed to grow vegetables now.  Some have plants rooted into the soil and growing up onto a supporting structure.  Others have soil packed into a bag or shelf, then are hung on a supporting structure. These have to be replenished every year, and are not suitable in areas with seismic activities or high winds.  Access to the plants and water is also a concern.  Mat or coir fibers are often used, and new systems are being developed for consumers all the time.

I recently read of "pocket" gardens being planted in France.  These make use of posts in an urban setting, where vegetables and flowers are planted.  A Parisian artist, Paule Kingleur, worked with 600 Parisian schoolchildren to plant them and tend to them.  The planters are made of discarded milk cartons wrapped in fabric from recycled tents.  Let's see if this trend catches on!

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Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

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