John Ikerd2 days ago4 minWorldview of Sustainable AgricultureThe hierarchical worldview of sustainability also characterizes the individual entities or smaller wholes that make up the larger whole...
John IkerdJun 154 minThe Hierarchy of Authentic SustainabilityI ended my previous post by explaining that the worldview of authentic sustainability reflects an understanding that economies are a part...
John IkerdJun 84 minTypical Worldview of SustainabilityIn my previous post, I related the “five stages of grief” to the stages of transition from an unsustainable to sustainable society. They...
John IkerdMay 174 minStages of Change to SustainabilityThe “five stages of grief” are widely used to describe the process people go through in facing, and eventually accepting, the reality of...
John IkerdJan 104 minWHY?I spent much of the first thirty years of my early life preparing to be a scientist, a social scientist but nonetheless a scientist. I...
John IkerdNov 10, 20216 minSuccessful Small Family Farms: Myth or Reality?Someone recently forwarded me a link to an opinion piece by freelance writer Sarah Mock that begins: “I tried to prove that small family...
John IkerdNov 1, 20214 minThe Values of SustainabilityEverything eventually boils down to economics! How many times have we heard this assertion—as if it were settled truth? Farmers need an...
John IkerdOct 12, 20215 minSustainability and the Laws of NatureWe humans are subject to the same laws of nature that govern the rest of the universe. If this were not true, there would be no concern...
John IkerdSep 29, 202126 minThe Essentials of Economic SustainabilityTen years ago, I wrote a book titled The Essentials of Economic Sustainability. It was written initially for short courses I taught in...
John IkerdSep 13, 20215 minThe National Debt Deception"Government spending is out of control! We can’t afford new government programs to rebuild infrastructure, mitigate climate change, or...
John IkerdAug 14, 20215 minThe Economic Realities of CAFOsI don’t like watching videos of my own presentations, but I force myself to do it from time to time. I know how I feel about...
John IkerdJun 12, 20216 minSome Thoughts on Racism and PatriotismI have been reluctant to write about political issues since the 2020 presidential election. I had hoped some of the bitterness and...
John IkerdMay 23, 20214 minA Tribute to Elsie HerringElsie Herring was a friend! We weren’t close personal friends but professional friends who shared a sense of mutual respect and common...
John IkerdApr 12, 202123 minTwenty Responses to Defenders of CAFOsWhen speaking at public events about the negative impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operators or CAFOs, I am often asked how best to...
John IkerdMar 25, 20216 minRevelations of COVID-19—One Year LaterIt has been a year now since COVID 19 was proclaimed a pandemic. Virtually everyone has experienced the disruption of the food system in...
John IkerdFeb 21, 20215 minWhy Do We Need a Farm Bill?Why do we need a “Farm Bill”? Farmers make up only 1.3% of the total U.S. population and even less than 10% of the population of counties...
John IkerdJan 21, 20213 minA Green New Deal for Family Farms & Rural CommunitiesThe "Green New Deal"[i] has been systematically demonized by corporate propaganda targeting rural America. Rural people have been led to...
John IkerdNov 24, 20203 minA New Agenda for Farm Bill 2023I have been writing a regular column for the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development for the past 10 years. My...
John IkerdNov 17, 20204 minFour Years to RegroupThe election of 2020 is finally over. Yes, it is over. Joe Biden won and Donald Trump lost. This conclusion was not reached quickly or...
John IkerdOct 13, 202076 minThe American Covenant -- Collection of 12 EssaysThis series of short essays makes a compelling case for returning the U.S. to the long, difficult journey toward "a more perfect union."