Cultivating an Ecological Conscience

Theologian, academic, and third-generation organic farmer Frederick L. Kirschenmann is a celebrated agricultural thinker. In the last thirty years he has tirelessly promoted the principles of sustainability and has become a legend in his own right.Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher documents Kirschenmann's evolution and his lifelong contributions to the new agrarianism in a collection of his greatest writings on farming, philosophy, and sustainability. Working closely with agricultural economist and editor Constance L. Falk, Kirschenmann recounts his intellectual and spiritual journey. In a unique blend of personal history, philosophical discourse, spiritual ruminations, and practical advice, Kirschenmann interweaves his insights with discussion of contemporary agrarian topics. This collection serves as an invaluable resource to agrarian scholars and introduces readers to an agricultural pioneer whose work has profoundly influenced modern thinking about food.

Acknowledgments	p. xiii
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 "Objective" 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 "Greening" 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 "It's Turtles All the Way Down"	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 "Farmers of the Middle"	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
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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