Cultivating an Ecological Conscience Essays from a Farmer Philosopher

by Kirschenmann, Fred; Falk, Constance L.

• ISBN13: 9781582437521
• ISBN10: 1582437521
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-08-30
• Publisher: Counterpoint

Summary

For more than thirty years, Frederick Kirschenmann has explored the ethical and practical principles of sustainable agriculture. An accomplished theologian, philosopher, and third–generation farmer, Kirschenmann is a dynamic leading voice in the dialogue about the challenges of modern agriculture.



Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher follows Kirschenmann's personal and professional evolution as a lifelong proponent of new agrarianism. Together with agricultural economist Constance L. Falk, Kirschenmann has compiled a collection of his essential writings on farming, philosophy, and sustainability. In this fascinating blend of personal history, philosophical discourse, spiritual ruminations, and practical advice, Kirschenmann shares candid, valuable insights about the agricultural challenges facing the modern world and the necessity of achieving ecologically sound and responsible stewardship of the land.



This rich book follows the development of Kirschenmann's long and distinguished career, from childhood lessons learned on the family farm to his inventive approaches for addressing contemporary agrarian issues. More than a mere retrospective, these these essays serve as an introduction to the life and wok of an extraordinary agricultural thinker.

Author Biography

Frederick L. Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Ames, Iowa, and president of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture at Pocantico Hills, New York, has published essays in many books, including Agroecosystems Analysis, Farm Aid: A Song for America, and Sustainable Agroecosystem Management.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Editor's Introduction	p. 1
Preface	p. 8
Working at Home: Lessons from Kirschenmann Family Farms
Theological Reflections while Castrating Calves	p. 15
On Behalf of American Farmers	p. 22
Pilgrimage to a Barnyard	p. 27
Low-Input Farming in Practice: Putting a System Together and Making It Work	p. 30
A Transcendent Vision	p. 40
Expanding the Vision of Sustainable Agriculture	p. 48
The Role of Independent Beef Producers in Rural Development	p. 63
Foreword to Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches	p. 66
On Being an ôObjectiveö Farmer	p. 71
Being at Home	p. 78
The Pleasure of Good Eating	p. 92
Is Sustainability in Our Energy Future?	p. 96
A Journey toward Sustainability	p. 99
Cracks in the Bridges: Inspecting the Industrial Food System
On Learning to Farm Ecologically on the Prairie	p. 121
Can Organic Agriculture Feed the World? And Is That the Right Question?	p. 141
Biotechnology on the Ground: What Kind of Future Can Farmers Expect, and What Kind Should They Create?	p. 153
Questioning Biotechnology's Claims and Imagining Alternatives	p. 161
Why American Agriculture Is Not Sustainable	p. 178
What Constitutes Sound Science?	p. 188
And Then What? Attending to the Context of Our Innovations	p. 204
Food as Relationship	p. 214
Is the USDA Accounting for the Costs to Farmers from Contamination Caused by Genetically Engineered Plants?	p. 226
Placing the Pew Commission Report in Context	p. 235
Redefining Sustainability: From ôGreeningö to Enhancing Capacity for Self-Renewal	p. 238
Envisioning an Alternative Food and Farming System
What's an Education For?	p. 243
Resolving Conflicts in American Land-Use Values: How Organic Farming Can Help	p. 248
What About the Next Twenty Years? Or ôIt's Turtles All the Way Downö	p. 255
Rediscovering American Agriculture	p. 262
Spirituality and Cooperatives	p. 271
In Search of Objectivity, or How to Create a Credible Certification Program	p. 279
On Becoming Lovers of the Soil	p. 284
Challenges Facing Philosophy as We Enter the Twenty-first Century: Reshaping the Way the Human Species Feeds Itself	p. 290
A Pig's Tale: Marketing Stories for New Value Chains	p. 306
A Bright Future for ôFarmers of the Middleö	p. 317
Revitalizing Rural Communities: How Churches Can Help	p. 322
Rethinking Food	p. 336
Using What We Know to Make a Difference	p. 342
Afterword	p. 358
Notes	p. 361
Selected Bibliography	p. 387
Index	p. 395
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