Gardening, or agricultural production, became an important livelihood for Chinese Boiseans in the 20th century. Many Chinese turned to the agricultural business as a means of supporting themselves upon their abandonment of the mining trade. Chinese agriculturalists were present at the beginning of Boise's Chinese encounter, but the position of these individuals was not really appreciated until the Great Depression. As early as 1871, the Idaho Statesman , commented on the prolific gardens that the Chinese were growing. Mining was obviously not the first trade for many of the Chinese who emigrated to Idaho, most had been farmers back in the regions of their birth. It was natural for many to grow gardens for sustenance, and surplus was sold to other residents of the city. There was plenty of profit to be had in gardening and many turned to the grocery business full time and were the primary suppliers of green-food to the Euroamericans of Boise. Many were in awe of the produce that was being grown by the Chinese. Customers and news outlets remarked upon the fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables which were oftentimes grown in relatively small plots of ground. Some of the Chinese gardeners feared the government encouraged "Victory Gardens" would infringe upon their business, but the purchase of vegetables shifted from residential customers to restaurateurs. Some Chinese gardeners opened up their own restaurants as well as a supplement to their income and overall, many including the Louie Family were extremely successful. These Chinese gardens were most prominent in areas like Garden City and along Chinden Blvd. With the advent of large scale agribusiness, these small farms were no longer profitable and those still in the trade abandoned farming for other pursuits, leaving Garden City and Chinden Blvd. as the only remnants of this legacy of the Chinese in Boise.