Edible garden draws a crowd at the Marin County Fair - ContraCostaTimes.com

Edible garden draws a crowd at the Marin County Fair - ContraCostaTimes.com.

Mary Roberts doesn't need inspiration from Michelle Obama or Gavin Newsom. She's been growing her own food for years. "I have been composting for 12 years and it's been the success story of my Sausalito garden," said the retired nurse, 68, as she took in a lecture on worms Friday at the Marin Master Gardeners' demonstration gardens. She grows tomatoes, peas, beans, rhubarb and "lemons and limes, of course," she said. "This is my victory garden, and I love it," she said. As the economy worsens, the first lady and the mayor of San Francisco's interest in victory gardens has helped popularize the grow-your-own-food movement, and drawn people to the Master Gardeners' living exhibit at the Marin County Fair. Victory gardens at people's homes gained popularity during World War II as a way to reduce pressure on the food supply and boost morale by empowering those on the homefront. Jill Fugaro, past president of the Marin Master Gardeners and chairwoman of the gardens estimated that several hundred people had passed daily through the exhibit, which features composted food waste from last year's fair. "There's a lot of interest in edible gardening," she said. "We have a lot of people, because of the recession and the economy, calling us and saying, 'how can I grow vegetables at home?' "We were hopeful that we could strike a chord with that theme and we're very pleased," she said. "The message is getting out."