Practical Advice for Farmers -George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver knew what it was like to be poor. He also knew how to make the most of every penny and resource. When he was 12 years old he started supporting himself. He even supported himself while going to school. He made money by running small laundry businesses, helping out in private homes, and having a small farm.

Carver wanted to share his knowledge and research with other African Americans. He was especially committed to helping poor black farmers. He had lots of advice on how to become more "thrifty and self-supporting." So when he was working at Tuskegee Institute, he wrote many educational booklets for farmers. What do you think he advised in this booklet, "Help for the Hard Times"?



First, Carver said farmers should plant a garden. He said that a "good garden" can provide half of the family food. When Carver was writing, many poor farmers grew only one crop, cotton, for money. While many of those farmers knew a lot about growing cotton, they didn't know much about growing vegetables or herbs. In "Help for the Hard Times," Carver used simple language to explain how to start a garden, when to plant, and what to plant.



There's no need to buy chemical fertilizers to get the soil ready. Carver said to use what nature provides: leaves, soil from the woods and "muck from the rich swamps." He said to plant potatoes, peas, spinach, as well as other vegetables and herbs in February, and to plant cauliflower, collards, and watermelon in March. By April, most of the garden should be growing and only a few things like cabbage, eggplant and cotton seed need to be planted. Carver also had lots of suggestions for making money. Can you guess what they were?




Carver believed in feeding the family, selling the extras, and using the money to buy more resources like animals or seeds. His first suggestion for making money was to have "12 good hens and 1 rooster." The chickens would lay enough eggs to feed the family and there would be extras to sell. If some of the eggs hatched, the new chickens could also be sold. The same went for any extra vegetables, like tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Carver also believed in making things instead of buying them. In "Help for the Hard Times" he suggested making things to sell: wood shingles, fence posts, baskets, quilts, and lace. He also suggested making and selling fruit and vegetable preserves. What other ways could farmers make money?



Farmers could earn good money with a few hogs. Carver said to buy young hogs. Hogs are cheap to raise because they eat leftover slop, rotten vegetables, and weeds. Once they're big enough, they can be turned into sausage, meat, and lard, which are guaranteed to sell. If a family can afford it, they should also buy a cow, which Carver said would provide "at least half the family's living."

For Carver, there was no waste in nature. Everything could be put to use. Carver believed that even the poorest farmers could improve their standard of living if they put to use all that nature had to offer