The New Yorker cover by Helen E. Hokinson.

Madame Rubinstein’s ‘Farm in the Sky’ included chickens and rabbits

by David Lardner
May 22, 1943
The New Yorker

Last week the United States Crop Corps, an organization of auxiliary farm workers being recruited by the War Manpower Commission, received the uncompromising support of Helena Rubinstein, who gave a cocktail party to honour it and also display her own penthouse Victory Garden, known to everybody within reach of Madame Rubinstein’s publicity staff as the Farm in the Sky.

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“Communities nationwide use brownfields funding to assess and clean sites for a variety of uses, including community gardens and farmers markets. Brownfields are properties that are vacant or abandoned due to concerns about real or perceived contamination on the property. Using funds from EPA, states, tribes and other sources, communities can assess sites and clean brownfields, creating safe spaces where people can grow their own food, or buy locally-grown food. The cleanup and redevelopment process helps to ensure safe and healthy garden and market areas.”

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Victory Garden at Town House. USA
1943. Photographer: Walter Sanders
Larger image here.

Crop Report from Radio City’s ‘Victory Garden’ – New York

by Russell Muloney
New Yorker, August 8, 1942

A Lady who knows a thing or two about farming called us up with a detailed indictment of the victory garden at Radio City Promenade: the tomato plants, she said, appeared to be bearing no fruit, the broccoli had been allowed to go to seed, the squash plants had large blossoms but no squashes, the cornstalks were tied with string to supports, in a way she found effete — “and who, God wot, eats Swiss chard? — she concluded.

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Link to larger image here.

Captured Japanese image shows city residents growing crops on their front lawn because of countrywide war-related food shortages.

Life Magazine
Location: Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
Date taken: March 1944

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