COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gardens are sprouting up in backyards all over Ohio, following a tradition that began during the early 1900s.

Victory Gardens also known as War Gardens grew out of the first and second world wars as a way for people to supplement rations and boost morale.

Many people are getting back to the roots of that tradition as a way of growing their own food during the pandemic. The Ohio Department of Agriculture is teaming up with The Ohio State University Extension and giving out seeds at the Clark, Franklin, Lucas, Cuyahoga, Hamilton and Washington County OSU Extension offices.

"We hear people who say over and over who haven't gardened that the minute they started gardening it's their good place. It's where they feel the most comfortable. They forget about maybe the things they worry about throughout the day," Mike Hogan said.

Hogan is an educator with the OSU Extension.

"If folks want to grow a fall vegetable garden, it's easy to get started. All they need is a small bed. You could even do it in containers," he said.

Spectrum News 1 also spoke with the Director of the state's Department of Agriculture, Dorothy Pelanda. She said the agencies are bringing back the gardens for people to get away from the endless hours we spend on the computer as we navigate the pandemic.

"We sit so many hours a day in front of a laptop in a Zoom meeting. This is a way of getting outside, getting physical, touching the ground, watching with fascination something grow from a seed, to a seedling, to plant, to this amazing plant that is something our families can eat and enjoy and remember the journey along the way," Pelanda said.

The agencies plan to spread the program to all 88 counties throughout the state with ongoing virtual tutorials on how to be a better gardener, starting Tuesday, August 18 at 7 p.m.