Visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., can now get a lesson in soybeans and other crops including a firsthand look at soybean plots just steps away from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) buildings and adjacent to the USDA Farmers Market. The exhibit officially opened July 26 as part of the Trust in Food Initiative and America’s Conservation Ag Movement, one of the largest public-private partnerships in history, focused on empowering farmers to adopt profitable conservation and stewardship practices. Anchored by the leadership of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the program includes extensive communication, educational and activation components, from national TV to on-the-ground peer-to-peer sharing in watersheds across the nation. The program will reach all food production segments – crops, protein, produce and influencers – and includes interactive consumer outreach such as the National Mall garden installation.

The garden installation at the Mall includes two soybean plots, corn, wheat, and myriad fruits and vegetables. It showcases technologies critical to producing affordable, wholesome food and healthy soil, clean water, and abundant wildlife habitat. The National Mall receives more than 24 million visitors annually, each of whom can now see and hear agriculture brought to life through the narration of farmers and ranchers. Educational elements include video-based kiosks, a farmer-voiced smartphone walking tour, and a quiz app. Garden ambassadors are on hand to answer questions. Find out more here.