I think I heard something about today being Earth Day. I can’t say that it really excites me. Maybe it’s because farmers tend the land every day and view care of their property as an integral part of their life. So why do we need a special day? Maybe it’s because this day has been used by so many people and organizations who are antagonistic to modern day agriculture and even to human existence. The Earth Day website says it, “marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.”

Whatever it is, I guess it just “is.” In Washington, DC, USDA is celebrating.

In honor of Earth Day, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared the entire grounds at the USDA Jamie L. Whitten Building as ‘The People’s Garden’ and unveiled plans to create a sustainable landscape on the grounds.

“USDA is an every day every way kind of department and this garden will help illustrate the many ways USDA works to provide a sustainable, safe and nutritious food supply as well as protect and preserve the landscape where that food is produced,” said Vilsack.

Do we really need to “honor” Earth Day? I don’t get it. What is there about this that engenders honor? During our #agchat session last night it was pointed out that maybe today is an opportunity to connect farming with consumers. Is that what the Earth Day people want? Seems like most of them want the opposite.

The photo is the view of the west side of the Department of Agriculture from the National Mall between 12th and 14th Streets, SW, in 1930. Apparently the Washington, DC Public Library is putting photos into Flickr sets now. I thought that was pretty interesting. Does the fact that we’re now planning to have sustainable landscaping mean we didn’t have sustainable landscaping? How do you define that anyway? I’m just in a questioning frame of mind I guess.