22—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 20,1971
Why FFA Week Is Closely Associated With Washington
Everyone knows that George
Washington gave seven years of
Ms life without pay to com
mand the Revolutionary Army
and eight more to serve as the
new country’s first president.
What isn’t so well know is
that he would have been much
happier “under his own vine
and fig tree” By his own ad
mission, George Washington’s
first interest was farming.
It was because of his interest
in farming and his accomplish
ments as a successful farmer
that FFA WEEK, February 20-
27 this year, is celebrated dur
ing the week of George Wash
ington’s birthday
In addition, George Washing
ton has been labeled die patron
saint of the organization and
has come to symbolize the FFA
Treasurer.
Actually, it was a small in
heritance that launched Wash
ington’s career as a farmer; he
was 11 when his father died
According to custom, Lawrence
as the oldest son got most
of the estate including Mt Ver
sion. Washington’s small in
heritance was only a 280-acre
Cherry Tree Farm pI"S a share
of land at Deep Run.
Washington started accumu
lating land with money "he, earn
ed'as a surveyor At 16, George
had bought 550 acres, he added
another 456 acres two, years'
later and another 552 before he
reached 21 ”
Lawrence died at the eaily
'age of 34, leaving Mt Vernon to
his young daughter who died
and Lawrence’s will then made
George the owner of Mt,' VeiV
ndn’s 2,500 acres’
Washington resigned his mil
itary commission when he was
26 and soon married Martha
Curtis, a wealthy Virginia
Widow. At that time he owned
about 5,000 acres of land which
had not fared well under his
brother’s care during the cam
paigns.
Washington began to take
farming seriously’ He had a
keen business mind, an eye for
detail, and a searching curiosity
about anything new He kept a
daily diary from 1760 till his
death in 1799, much of it deal
ing with his farming activities
The only major interruption in
his diary came duung the
American Revolution
Washington divided his huge
estate into five fa-ms Dogue
Run Farm, River Farm, Muddy
Hole Farm, Union Faxm and
the Mansion Hou=e where
the big house still stands today.
The management system was
quite modern Each fai m’s over
seer made weekly leports which
Washington used foi Ins notes,
diaries, and account books He
made exacting notes on plant
ing, harvest, and sale—a trait
that is recognized in the FFA
opening ceremony when the
treasurer says, “I keep records
of receipts and disbursements,
just as Washington kept his
farm accounts carefully and
accurately.
As early as 1766, Washington
realized the error in continued
tobacco cultivation He practi
cally abandoned tobacco, the
major colonial crop
Nothing was wasted at Mt.
Vernon; Washington used
everything that was usable and
bought nothing he could pro
duce—he tanned cattle hides
and sold fish from his waters.
Most historians credit Washing
ton’s farming success to an un
usual ability for using by-pro
ducts and conservation prac
tices.
Some have called Mt Vernon
one of the earliest “experiment
stations” in Amenca It’s true
that Washington tried various
manure and water applications
under controlled conditions. He with judicious management, it
experimented with countless is profitable,” he said.
new seeds, fertilizers, and man
agement practices.
, ~ ~, , . . best expressed in his eighth ad-
Waslungton caUed the We ol dress to Congress:
a farmer “most delectable. It
is honorable It is amusing, and,
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Perhaps his far-reaching vi
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“It will noi. be doubted that
Lancaster, Pa. 17601
Phone 393-3906
with reference either to indivi- othei circumstances of maturi
dual or National Welfare, Agn- ty, this truth becomes more ap
culture is of primary import- parent; and renders the cultiva
ance In proportion as nations tion of the soil more and more,
advance in population, and an object of public patronage.”
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