I have an interest in American history, and at present am focused on Revolutionary times.  The story of the birth of our nation and the sacrifices so many made for this country continues to fill me with awe and appreciation.

We all know about the Father of our Country, George Washington, but did you know that this man was also known by many as the Father of American Agriculture? 

General Washington did not want to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army; he did not want to be President of the United States; and he definitely did not want to fill that position for a second term--but, out of duty, he did.  What he wanted was to be home at Mt. Vernon with his wife, friends, and family, tending his crops, his sheep, his trees, his cattle, and his dogs.  He saw himself as a farmer first and had expressed to others that farming was the most honorable profession a man could have. 

Originally, the primary crop at Mt. Vernon was, as was true about most of the plantations in Virginia at that time, tobacco.  However, Washington realized two important things about this crop that others apparently did not.  One, that the tobacco was sent to away to England, so others were not benefiting.  Secondly, tobacco drew so many nutrients out of the soil, that the land was being completely depleted.

He pulled out the leaves, planted by previous owners,  and made his primary crop wheat.  He realized if he could not sell his wheat, his family, his slaves, and his livestock could eat.  He even built a grist mill right on his property to make his own flour.  He also built a distillery and made his own whiskey from his corn.

He grew many other crops-- barley, clover, carrots, cabbage, flax, millet, oats, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, rye and more.  He was an advocate for crop rotation, going from three year to a seven year cycle.  He experimented with various methods of fertilizing (or what we would call composting).  He kept meticulous notes and corresponded with notable agricultural institutions in both America and England.

He was always searching for how to do things more easily and more efficiently.  Previously, seeds were sown by hand.  Washington developed a barrel plow, which was a wooden barrel with drilled holes. The seeds fell through the holes as it turned while being pulled behind a plow.

Wheat had been beaten by hand with a flail to separate the seeds from the stems.  Washington designed and built a sixteen sided barn in which horses trampled the wheat stalks on the upper level and the grain fell into the lower level through spaces on the floor.  This method used less labor and protected the kernels from dirt, wind, and rain.

Not only did he have a great understanding of soil productivity, crop rotation, and creative technology, Washington loved sharing his knowledge and understanding with others (the first Master Gardener?). 

Growing away from our dependency on England, he knew America could "feed itself" and when he retired from the military, then politics, he dedicated his life to this endeavor.