5 reasons we love Johnny Appleseed

Today is Johnny Appleseed’s 227th birthday. Sustain Mizzou is throwing him a party — complete with surprise apple treats — on Wednesday at 7 in the Strickland room of Memorial Union. Alas, if only Footprint could give you a big slice of apple pie. Instead, try marinating on these sweet facts:

1. Before Teddy Roosevelt, before Henry David Thoreau, John Chapman became America’s first great environmental icon.
2. He was a vegetarian, loved animals and respected Native Americans.
3. He inspired this song by The Clash’s Joe Strummer:
4. HE PLANTED APPLE TREES EVERYWHERE! YES! APPLES ARE DELICIOUS!
5. We can drink delicious drinks inspired by him.

PS – This website has more enlightening facts, including that “a sculpture of Appleseed in front of an Ohio high school was renamed ‘Early Settler,’ after the board of education decided Appleseed was too eccentric a guy to honor and, we presume, somehow influence teenagers.”  Right on, Johnny A.!