Food insecurity is an issue that is exacerbated by strife. In crises, stress is put on the systems that feed people, often leaving many without enough to eat. During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson began the victory gardens program, which asked Americans to grow their own food to support the war effort.
The program was a popular one and was used again during World War II. It resurfaced in Ohio more recently, said Pam Bennett, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was a huge bump in gardening,” said Bennett, a horticulture educator for The Ohio State University Extension in Clark County. “People wanted to know how to grow vegetables. We got calls from people wanting help on how to do it, where to find seeds and so forth.”
Following a...
COLUMBUS, Ohio–Lindsey Okuley has been interested in chickens since she was small. A fourth-year agricultural communications major at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Okuley joined her local 4-H chapter in the fifth grade and worked with the animals, going on to show them for seven years.
When she arrived at Ohio State, she discovered CFAES’ Poultry Science Club (PSC) and has been a member since, serving in her second year as the club’s secretary. She is coordinating its annual Thanksgiving turkey sale.
“The great thing about the sale,” Okuley said, “is that it supports the Poultry Science Club. People are directly supporting students.”
The fundraiser, now in its 72nd...