George Washington:The Innovative Farmer

What does innovation mean?What are some examples of

innovation in society today?What do you think innovation

looked like during G.W.’s time?

Innovation

The skilled and manual labor needed to run Mount Vernon was largely provided by slaves

First settlers arrived in Virginia in 1607.They grew tobacco as their cash crop.American farmers grew tobacco for profit.The average farmer owned between 100 and

300 acres of land.The owning a lot of land was

important because land stood for wealth and power.

Colonial Farming

For many years, tobacco was George Washington’s main crop.

However, tobacco was labor intensive to produce and quickly depleted the soil of valuable nutrients.

The field then had to lay empty for an estimated 20 years to regain the nutrients necessary to support agriculture.

Washington felt this was a wasteful approach to farming. In the mid-1760s, Washington began to experiment with

growing wheat. Although he continued to grow some tobacco, by the

early 1770s, wheat had become Washington’s primary cash crop.

Tobacco to Wheat

Cradlers cut the wheat in the field.Rakers gathered the cut wheat.Shockers tied the wheat into

bundles.Conners stacked the bundles before

it was carted to a barn.

Growing & Harvesting Wheat

Threshing

George Washington

’s Design for a Barn

George Washington’s List of Supplies for the Barn

New process for treading wheatSoil ConservationCompostingFertilizingDesigning and building a barrel

seederCrop rotation

Washington’s Innovative Practices

Compost

Fertilizers

Barrel Seeder

Crop Rotation

What are some examples of Washington’s innovative farming practices?

Why did Washington change his cash crop from tobacco to wheat?

Explain how the 16 sided barn changed the treading process.

What did you learn about George Washington and farming that you’d like to research further?

Questions