George Washington, Farmer (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

George Washington, Farmer
Mount Vernon Trail
— George Washington Memorial Parkway, National Park Service —

One of the most progressive farmers of his day, George Washington believed America’s future depended on improvements in agriculture. From 1754-1799, he worked to improve his farming methods at Mount Vernon. Abandoning tobacco, which depleted the soil, Washington made wheat his major crop. He exchanged information through extensive correspondence with like-minded farmers around the country and abroad.

[Captions:]
Detail from Washington as a Farmer at Mount Vernon, Junius Brutus Stearns, 1851

Washington’s accomplishments included experimenting with approximately 60 different crops, introducing mules to farm labor in the United States, and testing crop rotation and fertilizers for soil improvement.

President Washington drew this 1793 map of his approximately 8,000 acres. About 200 slaves and others worked the farms. Each of the five farms had its own animals, equipment, buildings, living quarters, and woods for fences.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.


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Here follows an excerpt about George Washington from the Mount Vernon Ladies Association website:

George Washington studied and implemented improved farming methods throughout his life. In fact, he thought of himself first as a farmer.

George Washington devoted his life to the improvement of American agriculture.

While his initial interest in farming was driven by his own needs to earn a living and improve Mount Vernon, in later years Washington realized his leadership and experimentation could assist all American farmers.

Initially growing tobacco as his cash crop, Washington soon realized that tobacco was not sustainable and he switched to grains, particularly wheat as a cash crop in 1766. Washington read the latest works on agriculture and implemented the new husbandry methods using a variety of fertilization methods and crop rotation plans on his five farms.