Bad Economy and fears of contaminated food spur newcomers to grow their own

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These quotes are regarding 2008 growing season. I went looking because I was curious about the sudden unavailability of canning jars and the number of questions posted by Newbies on several vegetable gardening forums.

growing number of Americans who, driven by higher grocery costs and a stumbling economy, have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time. Others have increased the size of their existing gardens.
Seed companies and garden shops say that not since the rampant inflation of the 1970s has there been such an uptick in interest in growing food at home. Space in community gardens across the country has been sold out for several months. In Austin, Tex., some of the gardens have a three-year waiting list.

Each spring for the last five years, the Garden Writers Association has had TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, a polling firm, conduct a national consumer telephone survey asking gardeners what makes up the greatest share of their garden budgets. “The historic priorities are lawns, annuals, perennials, then vegetables, followed by trees and shrubs,” said Robert LaGasse, executive director of the association. This year, vegetables went from fourth place to second, which Mr. LaGasse called “an enormous attitude shift.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/di...pagewanted=all

And here:
http://features.csmonitor.com/garden...table-gardens/

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/busines...yourown_t.html