卡佛十分瞭解哪些作物能讓土壤重新產生滋養物，花生就是其中之一！花生同時也是人類蛋白質的重要來源。

卡佛認為如果農夫們種植花生作物，能幫助他們的土地重新成為有養分的土壤，也能作為牲畜的食物、也能作為家人的蛋白質來源 – 真是個太棒的作物了！在1896年的美國，甚至花生甚至還未被視為一種農作物，但卡佛希望能扭轉人們的看法。

卡佛告訴農夫們應輪替所栽種的作物：種植棉花一年、接著種植花生以及其他讓土壤重獲養分的作物，像是豌豆和甘薯等作物。這些作物能讓土壤累積足夠的養分、利於隔年再次種植棉花。結果農夫們生產出過多的花生 – 超過家人與牲畜的食用量 – 漸漸已經沒有地方可以銷售了，此時卡佛又提出了另一個計畫，您知道這是什麼樣的計畫嗎？

Carver knew that certain plants put nutrients back into the soil. One of those plants is the peanut! Peanuts are also a source of protein.

Carver thought that if those farmers planted peanuts, the plants would help restore their soil, provide food for their animals, and provide protein for their families--quite a plant! In 1896 peanuts were not even recognized as a crop in the United States, but Carver would help change that.

Carver told farmers to rotate their crops: plant cotton one year, then the next year plant peanuts and other soil-restoring plants, like peas and sweet potatoes. It worked! The peanut plants grew and produced lots of peanuts. The plants added enough nutrients to the soil so cotton grew the next year. Now the farmers had lots of peanuts--too many for their families and animals--and no place to sell the extras. Again, Carver had a plan. Do you know what he did?

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