One of the most successful wartime civilian participation programs was the Victory Garden, where Americans were encouraged to grow and preserve their own fruits and vegetables. The Secretary of Agriculture initiated the program after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Factory workers tended crops for use in their cafeterias, while homeowners grew crops in their backyards, vacant lots and on boulevards in front of their homes.
Disney licensee W.L. Stensgaard produced a Victory Garden sign that featured Donald Duck chasing pests from his garden. The sign was available in two sizes and was sold in five and dimes, hardware and grocery stores.
One version of the sign featured the illustration printed on a masonite board attached to a 24-inch long stake. This sign was produced in six oil colors and had a wholesale price of $10.80 per dozen. The suggested retail was $1.69 each.
The second version was printed on 100-point fiberboard, was produced in four oil colors and was mounted on an 18-inch stake. The fiberboard signs wholesaled at $7.80 per dozen with a suggested retail of $1.00 each.
A promotional flyer sent to retailers stated: "Everybody will want to identify their victory garden with this colorful, durable, outdoor marker. Creates a new spirit for gardens. Thousands will buy for own use, also gifts and prizes."
When interest in the Victory Garden program began to wane, State War Councils sponsored growing contests. In 1944 Disney artist Hank Porter designed the cover illustration for the National Victory Garden Institute's Green Thumb Contest Record Book.
The May 22, 1944 edition of the Dixon Evening Telegraph reported in part:
In Illinois, adult first place winners received a $100 bond, while the state winner claimed a $200 bond and the chance to be judged against other state winners in a national showdown. The winner of the national contest won a $1,000 bond. Youth winners could win $10 in war savings stamps for a fifth place finish and up to a $100 bond for a first place showing.
All of the items shown in this post, with the exception of the newsletter, are from my collection. I purchased the Victory Garden sign from a good friend several years ago, while the three Victory Garden Contest Record Books were a recent internet purchase.