Fear over food shortages has prompted people to take matters into their own hands by planting vegetable gardens. Oregon State University’s Master Gardener Program has  made their online vegetable gardening course free through the end of April.

George Ball, the executive of Burpee Seed Company, has said that there has been a huge surge in online orders of seeds, and noted that the same happened during the stock market crash of 1987, the dotcom bubble burst of 2000, and he remembers the two oil crises of the 1970s from his childhood. But he says he has not seen a spike this large and widespread.

If you’re interested in starting a garden, look into making a community garden similar to the victory gardens started in WWI. Community gardens can help provide food for you and your neighbors, and any surplus of food can be donated to those who may be suffering from food shortages.