ASHS 2025 Conference

ASHS Annual Meetings (now conferences) have evolved over the 60 years of my attendance. From the 1965 Annual Meeting in Urbana Illinois where I stayed in a tent on the University quadrangle, to the most recent conference in Honolulu, they have been professionally stimulating, exciting and memorable. The dogwood pin given to attendees of the 1966 meeting with ISHS in Maryland, the long drive from St. Paul to College Station, Texas in 1967 and the ISHS/ASHS meeting in Davis stimulated my involvement and commitment to attending these important conferences. Involvement with the ASHS infrastructure began when I became a Board member representing the Great Plains Section when attending the meeting in Manhattan Kansas. I was immersed into the ASHS system further as the Chair of Local Arrangements for the 1972 meeting in St Paul (remember the chicken fiasco?) The Guelph meeting in 1974 was memorable because I attended "on the way" to sabbatical at the University of Nottingham and was "on the way back" to the 1975 meeting in Honolulu (September meeting). It was an easier drive from St. Paul to Ames in 1982 where I took my grad students in a van to save them money (I have always encouraged my students to become ASHS members by paying for their first year's memberships). Past President Dermot Coyne sponsored me for ASHS Fellow, awarded at the meeting in East Lansing in 1988. My second meeting in Honolulu was of note because following inducements of pineapples, luau and more, I purchased a timeshare to make sure that I'd take a "real" vacation in addition to my usual tacking on a few days to ASHS conferences. Among the important changes with which I had the privilege to assist was the creation of the ASHS Endowment Fund, and now the "$125 for Five" campaign that will continue to help deserving students. Of course I am humbled to say that one of my greatest honors was election as President of ASHS. Following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, I was inundated with "where can we meet", "when can we meet" emails and calls. I was proud to respond that we will help New Orleans by following through with our commitment to meet there. I will mention many more important ASHS changes and insights as part of my presentation this year as we return to the site of my Presidential Address in the "Big Easy".

The United States during the national crises of the First and Second World Wars developed gardening and food production programs in order to support the war effort and to supply food for the troops and those at home. The National War Garden Commission, a private organization, was created in 1917 one month before the US entry in World War 1. The role of the commission was to encourage US citizens to cultivate in all available space, offering free seeds and plants and to “Sow the Seeds of Victory!” President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 indicated “everyone who creates or cultivates a garden helps,” and tasked government agencies with aiding the effort to conserve food and other supplies for soldiers. The civilian garden program was supported by the commission who gave away free booklets on gardening, canning, and food preservation. These gardens, termed “war gardens” were grown throughout the country on vacant land, parks, backyards, and schools; there was call for schools to join the United States School Garden Army. There were many war gardens in the USA and around the world. There were more than 5.2 million war gardens in the USA by 1918. Towards the end of World War 1 the effort shifted to victory gardens with the goal of feeding the hungry, and prevention of starvation. With the advent of World War 2 the victory gardens were mobilized to provide resources to fight the war and support the US allies. Almost 20 million Americans planted gardens – in backyards, vacant lots, athletic fields, schools, roof tops. Produce from their gardens would help to lower the price of vegetables needed by the US War Department to feed the troops, thus saving money that could be spent elsewhere on the military. An estimated 40 % of the nation’s fresh vegetables were produced in victory gardens. The federal government, via the USDA provided resources such as seeds, production guides, and guidance in order to support victory gardens. The guides were intended to provide information to novice gardeners on growing food as well as proper canning and preservation techniques. The current farm to school movement and the People’s Garden program have their roots in the previous wartime efforts in order to support a more diverse resilient food system and address issues such as food access and climate change.