Free Downloadable Exhibit Now Available for Libraries, Schools, and Garden Clubs
Mount Vernon, VA — George Washington’s Mount Vernon last week announced the launch of George Washington and a Nation of Farmers, a new resource available free of charge to libraries, garden clubs, schools, historical societies, botanical gardens, and community organizations across the country.
As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of American independence, the exhibition explores George Washington as one of early America’s most innovative agricultural leaders and his belief that a republic of independent farmers was essential to the success of the new nation.
Created in partnership with the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, the exhibition is designed as a free, downloadable 18-panel display that organizations nationwide can easily print and install indoors or outdoors. The materials are available in multiple sizes and formats. A Spanish-language version also is available, along with instructions to help organizations install the exhibition in their communities.
George Washington and a Nation of Farmers is available here.
“This exhibition offers communities across the country an opportunity to explore a lesser-known but deeply important dimension of George Washington’s life,” said Anne Neal Petri, Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. “Washington was not only a military and political leader. He also was a visionary farmer who believed that agriculture, stewardship of the land, and independent farmers were essential to the strength of the American republic.”
“George Washington understood that the success of the American experiment depended on a nation rooted in land, stewardship, and civic responsibility,” said Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, this exhibition allows communities across the country to explore Washington’s vision of a ‘nation of farmers’ and the enduring connection between agriculture, independence, and the character of the American republic.”
“We are thrilled to have partnered with Mount Vernon and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association on the creation of this exhibit that invites audiences to reflect on the role that land use plays in our shared cultural story as we mark this milestone in American history,” said Peter Crane, President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation.”
The exhibition highlights Washington’s pioneering agricultural practices at Mount Vernon, including his experiments with crop rotation, soil restoration, diversified planting, and improved farm management. Long before sustainable agriculture became a modern priority, Washington recognized the need to protect soil health and adapt farming practices to preserve the land for future generations.
The exhibition debuted at The Philadelphia Flower Show, the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event presented by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Introducing the exhibition at the Philadelphia Flower Show was an opportunity to highlight the enduring connection between Washington’s agricultural vision and today’s conversations about environmental stewardship, gardening, and sustainable land management.
Mount Vernon’s gardens and landscapes, including its formal pleasure gardens, working farm, woodlands, and historic vistas, are central to the estate’s interpretation of Washington’s life and leadership. Mount Vernon continues to invest in the careful preservation and thoughtful evolution of its historic landscape as a living testament to Washington’s enduring legacy. This new exhibit is just one of several initiatives recently announced focusing on land stewardship, including the hiring of Jonathan Kavalier and the development of a comprehensive landscape plan with internationally acclaimed Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects.
Oak Spring Garden Foundation is dedicated to perpetuating and sharing the gifts of Rachel (“Bunny”) Lambert Mellon, including her residence, garden, estate, and the Oak Spring Garden Library, to serve the public interest. OSGF inspires and facilitates scholarship and public dialogue on the history and future of plants, gardens, and landscapes, and the importance of plants for human well-being.
Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organization in the United States. The estate is open to visitors and includes the Mansion, a museum and education center, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery, and a gristmill. It also includes the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.