I gather from reading the national news media that victory gardens are in vogue this summer. For those of you too young to remember, or who did not pay attention in history class, victory garden is a World War II (1941-45) term. Then president, Franklin Roosevelt, encouraged all Americans to raise a garden in order to assist with the war effort. I suppose many people did. Believe it or not, I too am too young to remember that.

West Virginian's did not need Franklin Roosevelt to tell them to raise a garden because they had been doing it all of their lives. During the depression of the previous decade most West Virginians did not have a problem feeding their families because they had always raised a garden. They continued doing that during the war and, as I observe all the time, still do. As I roll toward the Folk Festival each June on Route 16 and 33, I always enjoy looking at all of the lush gardens along the way. Hill country folks may not know much about how to make money, but they know how to raise a garden!

Thelma and I started raising a garden in 1973. Since that time we wouldn't even consider going into the winter without 100-125 quarts of half-runner beans, 60-80 quarts of tomato juice, 80 or 90 packages of frozen corn, and eight or ten bushels of potatoes stowed away under ground, not to mention two or three bushels of sweet potatoes. We also always tried to put away 25 or 30 quart packages of blackberries and raspberries. It was a natural thing for us to do because we both came from families that did the exact same thing. I have fond memories of the old basement cellar at home filled with gleaming jars of canned food. I never worried about starving.

Our parents also killed hogs in the fall so there was always plenty of meat on hand. Some of the pork was canned but that wasn't the best part. That portion of the meat that my dad processed in the smokehouse was the real treat. Sometimes I can still almost smell that hickory smoke that wafted out of the smokehouse. Thelma and I have never kept and killed hogs but we have always bought bulk pork and beef in the fall and canned it.

When I was chased from Glenville in 1994 with the hoots and jeers of the Gilmer County power structure ringing in my ears, I was not worried about getting another job. But I was a little concerned about finding a new place with a garden spot as good as the one I had out in the Troy District. As it turned out, I found a better one.