Rooted in Resilience: The Legacy of Plant Scientist George Washington Carver, Part 2 of 2

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” – George Washington Carver

As there were shortages of crops from 1914 to 1918, Mr. Carver developed different uses for sweet potatoes, soybeans, and peanuts. His comprehensive research led to hundreds of applications for these crops. He created over 300 peanut-based products, including plastics, synthetic rubber, dyes, paper, and cooking oils. From soybeans, Mr. Carver invented a process for producing paints and stains. His other synthetic discoveries included adhesives, flour, and soil conditioner. He also developed products from sweet potatoes, encompassing edibles such as flour, vinegar, and molasses, as well as wood fillers, library pastes, and ink. George W. Carver also published recipes and uses for the produce in bulletins.

Peanuts are a good source of protein. Encouraged by Kellogg and Gandhi, George W. Carver created an entire range of “mock meat” products, such as “mock chicken,” “mock duck,” “mock goose,” and “mock veal,” as alternatives to animal-people meat. This initiative underscores Carver's early commitment to vegan diets and his efforts to enhance nutrition and health within the community.

Apart from his contributions in agriculture, he formulated a process of producing paints and stains from clay, producing 500 different shades of dyes.

Mr. Carver passed away on January 5, 1943, at age 79, while sitting up in bed, working on a Christmas card that read, “Peace on Earth and goodwill to all men.” This day is now designated as George Washington Carver Recognition Day by Congressional decree.

George W. Carver became a Christian at a young age, and in 1931, he reflected on his conversion, expressing how it had shaped his journey. “I was just a mere boy when converted, hardly 10 years old. There isn’t much of a story to it. God just came into my heart one afternoon while I was alone in the ‘loft’ of our big barn while I was shelling corn to carry to the mill to be ground into meal. […]”