The George Washington Carver Community Gardens Project

Regeneration Through the Generations 

Getting to Know the Ancestors

George Washington Carver 

Born into slavery and orphaned as a baby, Dr. George Washington Carver came into a world that seemed designed to fail him. Having struggled with chronic illness as a child, he knew intimately the struggles of the marginalized and vulnerable community that surrounded him. His love of nature and plants sustained him through early and ongoing challenges. 

After pursuing his education as a scientist, he went on to teach multiple generations of farming families, youth and elders in the community, and college students in the ways of regenerative and nutritive agriculture. 

All who sought to heal soil damaged by centuries of commercial monoculture practices and feed communities that were exploited for their labor and dispossessed of land and resources came to him. 

As both a scientist and artist, as well as an educator and community servant, Dr. Carver engaged in a variety of creative, research, and community practices that focused on creating a better, healthier, kinder, more beautiful and service-filled world. 

We who farm, love community, practice art, and envision a better world for us all look to him for inspiration and guidance. 

This project salutes his work and seeks to elevate his knowledge to current and future generations. 

The Learning Farm is partnering with Children’s Reading Connection, Ithaca Children’s Garden and a number of other local youth organizations to uplift the life and legacy of the GOAT of American agriculture: Dr. George Washington Carver.

STAY TUNED for Spring plantings at GWC Gardens at your school and around town.