Victory Gardens
During World War II, citizens of the United States took part in the war effort and expressed their patriotism by purchasing bonds, recycling, and planting Victory Gardens. The U.S. government, along with major corporations and seed companies, encouraged Americans to plant their own gardens to ensure food for themselves and their neighbors and allow more supplies to be shipped to the troops overseas. People all across the country started growing food in plots ranging from large backyard gardens to small rooftop gardens in the city tenements. Seed companies, schools, posters, and magazine articles motivated and supplied instruction for the new gardeners. Throughout the war, people from coast to coast harvested their crops in the summer and canned food for the fall and winter, uniting the country with millions of Victory Gardens.

Italian Americans
In 19th Century Italy, the northerners controlled the government and the southerners had little control of their land and were unfairly taxed. In the late 1800s, an overwhelming population boom greatly affected southern Italy. The poor became poorer, and more and more people were uneducated and jobless. Italy struck by a series of natural disasters. Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying an entire town near Naples, and later Mt. Etna erupted. In 1908, a devastating earthquake and tidal wave killed over 100,000 people. Throughout the period, many young men left their families to find prosperity in either North or South America, with hopes of someday returning, with money, to their native Italy. The first immigrants to come to the U.S. were northern Italians who became produce vendors in New York and wine growers in California. Later, many southern Italians came to the cities in hopes of finding jobs with higher wages. Many lived in intolerable slum conditions while holding onto the dream of returning to Italy. However, only 20 to 30 percent of the Italian immigrants returned to live in their native land.

Today, Italian Americans make up the fifth largest ethnic group within the United States. Over 16 million Italians are direct descendents of the Italian immigrants while about 26 million people have at least one Italian grandparent. Two thirds of Italian Americans work in white-collar jobs including; law, medicine, education, and business. They have brought with them a strong sense of family and religion (Catholicism) and have introduced culinary traditions from the preparation of meals to the food placed on the table. Italians introduced various cured meats, cheeses, and pastas to American marketplaces, which have become staples in homes of all cultures. Many Italian immigrants were the first to plant gardens in their yards, filled with fresh vegetables and herbs to use to make their fresh pastas and sauces.

 Community Gardens
Over the years, projects have developed to educate lower-income, inner city families about methods and benefits of gardening. Neighborhoods all over the United States have converted empty lots into lush gardens filled with flowers and produce. Children greatly benefit from city gardens because they learn the value of helping something grow as well as gaining the nutritional benefits of eating fresh produce. Community gardens also help to improve the air quality and appearance of neighborhoods.

Italy