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> For example, at least during the depression those with farms had to ability to grow their own food. Those without farms overwhelmingly didn't need to. The on
by barry-cotter 5y ago
> For example, at least during the depression those with farms had to ability to grow their own food.
Those without farms overwhelmingly didn't need to. The only place in North America to have widespread hunger during the Great Depression was Newfoundland. If most people didn't take advantage of allotments it was because it wasn't worth it. After the fall of the Soviet Union lots and lots of urban ex-Soviet citizens grew their own food. They needed to.
- giantg2 5y agoMy understanding is that while they didn't need to, it did help. Especially with variety and specific items, like meat, or grain for making beer. But in general it would help provide more than the bare minimum. My grandpa remembers many urban people during the depression complaining about food, but unwilling to work a garden on a government plot.
- kongin 5y agoHaving grown up during that period no one needed to. You could survive quite easily on whatever you could buy in the stores. The diet you could get from growing your own food was much better than what you get even in the west today. The one thing people who haven't experienced it can't understand is the taste of the food. I don't know what price I'd put on a breakfast made with fresh milk, eggs, home baked bread and salted pork but it would be at least a few hundred dollars. If I didn't live in a region where any rural property is expected to burn down once a decade I'd have bought a weekend farm a long time ago.