The NEW Modern Victory Movement

The Modern Victory Movement (MVM), is a concept based on WWI and WWII era victory gardens, war bonds and scrap metal drives. It is a call for the common folks to strive to be more self-reliant and conservation-minded, in order to participate in our "victory" over the economic, environmental and energy-related problems our world is facing. Group members are encouraged to practice MVM and to spread the concept.

MVM is based in a belief that people can do much to improve their lives even during the difficult times that are ahead. It is also based on the belief that both nature and people are important.


#1 Raise and preserve as much of your own food as possible.

This is the bedrock foundation of MVM. It is also the best means of protecting yourself and your family from the high food inflation we are currently experiencing, as well as any future food scarcity that may occur. From a simple veggie patch in the backyard to a fully integrated forest garden with free-roaming chickens for eggs and a couple of goats for milk, the more food each of us can raise, the better off the world will be. Urban farming in community gardens, on rooftops or in containers on balconies and windowsills is especially important.

An important part of growing our own food is improving the soil we garden in. This can be done by composting, vermiculture and wise-use. Healthy soils are one of the greatest stores of future value around. The more I read of history, the more obvious the extreme importance of healthy soils. Entire civilizations were built around healthy soils. And many were destroyed either by conquest of other peoples wanting their soils, or because they destroyed their own soils.

Not only raising our own food, but preserving it for future use is important. Canning, freezing, drying and other methods can be used to store the food we raise or buy from local farmers. Most of us will probably need to supplement the food we preserve from our gardens with food we buy from the stores.


#2 Plant trees as part of reforestation projects & edible landscaping.

Trees are the future and the answer to most of our problems. Trees fight climate change, improve air quality, control flooding, stop soil erosion, improve soil quality, maintain freshwater supplies, restore ecosystems, increase biodiversity and produce food, as well as provide numerous renewable resources such as timber and biofuels. Trees are an incredibly important source of food, vastly more productive per acre than livestock or even grains.

Forest gardening, also called woodland gardening or edible landscaping, is a type of permaculture in which trees and other plants are grown for food, fuel, fiber, resins, dyes, medicine and other renewable resources in a method that mimics a woodland ecosystem or forest edge. Pioneered and popularized by the late Robert Hart in the UK, the idea has been further developed by Ken Fern (see the Plants for a Future website) and others.

The advantages of forest gardening are that it is extremely productive, is relatively low maintenance, does not require inputs of man-made fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals, and can be done by anyone with even a small plot of land. A forest garden contains seven layers:

1. A canopy layer consisting of mature fruit & nut trees.
2. A low-tree layer of smaller nut and fruit trees on dwarfing root stocks.
3. A shrub layer of fruit bushes such as berries and currants.
4. A herbaceous layer of perennial vegetables and herbs.
5. A ground cover layer of edible plants that spread horizontally, such as strawberry.
6. A underground layer of plants grown for their roots and tubers.
7. A vertical layer of vines and climbers.

Edible and medicinal mushrooms could be grown in a forest garden, as well as those producing dyes. Free range chickens could be raised within a forest garden for both eggs and meat. Other small livestock can also be raised within a forest garden, and wild game can be encouraged. The possibilities are virtually unlimited.


#3 Reduce waste and conserve energy, fuel, freshwater & other natural resources.

Any sustainable future must be one where waste is reduced as much as possible, if not eliminated entirely. We should conserve energy, fuel, freshwater and other natural resources, even renewable ones. Homes and businesses should be made as energy-efficient as practical. We should strive to use mainly renewable resources. Whenever we use non-renewable resources, it should be done wisely and efficiently. Non-renewable resources should be recycled whenever possible. Freshwater conservation means not only using less water, but also planting trees and keeping our rivers and lakes clean.

DON'T EVER THROW GARBAGE OR POUR CHEMICALS INTO A STREAM, RIVER OR LAKE. Report to the authorities anyone you see doing so.

Eating a more plant-based diet is not only healthier, and cheaper, for people, but reducing meat consumption is healthier for the environment. Reducing the need to raise large livestock such as cattle & hogs not only frees up the land used to raise the livestock, but also the land used to grow crops to feed the livestock. It takes approximately 20x the land to raise the same amount of food from livestock as it does cereal crops. Tree crops such as fruits, nuts and carob are even more efficient.

Reduce, repair, reuse & recycle to as great an extent as possible. This mantra is as old as the environmental movement, but it is a way of living we all need to adopt. Our throw-away society is simply not sustainable. The first and best option is to reduce our consumption of goods and resources. Next, we must repair and reuse what we cannot reduce. Maximize the lifespan of goods so they need replacing only rarely. Finally, after something can no longer be repaired or reused, it must be recycled.

Composting is a wonderful way to recycle grass clippings, food scraps, dead leaves, yard waste and other organic materials. The rich soil it creates will enhance your food gardens.


#4 Gain knowledge. Learn skills. Take responsibility.

A major part of building self-reliance is gaining knowledge, learning skills and taking responsibility for your own life. The more you know, the more you are able to do and the more you are actually willing to do for yourself, the better off you will be.

In your personal life, learn how to manage your finances. Learn how to live on a budget. Develop the skills of a smart consumer. Learn how to raise and preserve some of your own food. Learn how to do the routine maintenance on your car. Learn the basics of home maintenance. Learn to sew. There is a multitude of everyday skills that you should learn in order to be more self-reliant.

On the job, the more knowledge and skills you have the less likely you are to be let go in “cost savings” efforts. And if you are let go, the more knowledge and skills you have the quicker you will be able to find new work. Don’t just limit yourself to the skills needed for your current job. Learn other skills as well. Learn a foreign language.

Take responsibility for your own life and success. Your company isn’t going to protect you. The government is going to take care of you. You family and friends have enough problems of their own.

Taking responsibility means doing what needs to be done, not just what is fun or what you want to do. Taking responsibility means not waiting around for others to do it for you. Taking responsibility means not assuming if you don’t do it then someone else will. Be proactive.

If you know your company is struggling, don’t wait for them to “downsize” you before you start looking for work. Get moving - polish up your résumé now, start networking and making contacts & inquires.

If your entire industry is struggling, don’t wait for it to implode. Start thinking about what new industry you might want to move to, and start learning the new skills you will need and making contacts in that industry.


#5 Eliminate debt and build savings.

We are facing difficult economic times. It will be especially difficult for the folks who are living paycheck to paycheck, in debt up to their eyeballs and with little or no savings. Debt – whether personal, business or government – is bad. It creates stress and makes one much more vulnerable to economic downturns.

In your personal life, work towards eliminating consumer debt – credit cards, car loans, payday loans, personal loans and installment plans. This will mean you have to put yourself on a budget and stick with it. It will probably mean putting off major purchases, avoiding impulse purchases and denying yourself luxury items. It may mean taking bag lunches to work. It may mean selling your car to get out of the loan. It may mean having a major yard sale to raise some money. It may even mean taking on a second job. It will take some sacrifice to eliminate debt in your life, but the benefits will be more than worth it.

Building some emergency savings will have to be done at the same time. Yard sales are a great way to bring in extra cash to do this. So is a second job in the evenings or on the weekends. Put the money somewhere safe, such as an insured CD or money market account in a stable bank or credit union (do your own homework or check with several companies that offer ratings on the soundness and safety of various financial institutions). Don’t worry about getting top interest. Safety and liquidity is your goal for your emergency savings, not growth.

Once your debt is paid off and you have accumulated some emergency savings, you can then turn your attention to savings for long-range goals such as the purchase of a car, a new home, children’s education, or retirement. Use common sense, avoid overly-risky investments and seek professional advice of someone you can trust.

No investment is perfectly safe. Cash savings are subject to losing value to inflation. Stocks and mutual funds are subject to the ups and downs of the market. Land is subject to property taxes and eminent domain. Converting all your money to gold & silver and burying it in the backyard is subject to thieves. There are no guarantees in life. The best you can do is use reason & common sense, to remain vigilant and to take responsibility for ensuring your own future.