During WWI and WWII, the government rationed foods such as sugar, butter, milk, eggs, coffee, meat, and canned goods. Lack of labor and transportation made it hard to harvest food from the farms and get it to market. Citizens were encouraged to plant Victory Gardens to provide their own fruits and vegetables. Nearly 20 million Americans answered the call! They planted gardens in backyards, empty lots, and even rooftops. The Durham Bulls are carrying on the tradition today in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, by growing fresh local food for our community at the Victory Garden at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Victory Garden utilizes containers, raised beds, and very small spaces to grow all kinds of food, such as berries, vegetables, herbs, and fruit. This fall, the beds at the Victory Garden are growing Swiss chard, cabbage, lettuce, Japanese salad turnips, radishes, beets, rosemary and cilantro, among other produce.
Water is an essential part of any garden. The irrigation system for the Victory Garden is supplied by rainwater from the roof of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which is collected into 1,500 gallon cisterns and then pumped into the garden beds enhancing the sustainability of the garden, and it’s free!
The food grown at the Victory Garden goes to Iglesia Presbiteriana Emanuel, Emanuel Tabernacle Holiness Church, and SouthLight Healthcare to be distributed to Durham families and individuals who may have limited access to fresh, healthy produce. The garden is also a model for the community to show how much food can be grown in such a small, urban setting.
“Through the Victory Garden collaboration with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Durham Bulls, we are able to educate our community and provide fresh produce to those in need. The chance to support an urban agriculture initiative and improve the health and wellbeing of our community is a home run!” said David Shaw, Program Manager, Community and Diversity Engagement of Blue Cross NC. The Victory Garden is sponsored by Blue Cross NC as part of a partnership with the Food Shuttle that started in 2017.
