Fred Kirschenmann has been involved in sustainable agriculture and food issues for most of his life. He currently serves as both a Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, and as President of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. He also still provides management over site of his family’s 2600 acre organic farm in south central North Dakota. He was recently named as one of the first ten James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards which recognizes visionaries in creating more healthful, more sustainable, and safer food systems. He is the author of a book of essays which track the development of his thought over the past 30 years; Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays by a Farmer Philosopher, published by the University of Kentucky Press.
Soil: From Dirt to Lifeline
By Fred Kirschenmann, originally published by TedX talks
February 23, 2012
Tags: Building Community, Culture & Behavior, Food, Resource Depletion
Related Articles
The restorative promise of agroecology: Farming for sovereignty and resilience in Malawi – Part II
By Thomas Shivers, Tom
In Malawi, farmers who have embraced agroecology are navigating the challenges of climate change, market pressures, and community needs.
April 7, 2026
The restorative promise of agroecology: Farming for sovereignty and resilience in Malawi
By Thomas Shivers, Tom
In Malawi, where agriculture is central to daily life, an internship with an agroecology organisation offers an inside look at farming practices that challenge industrial food systems and support food sovereignty.
April 6, 2026
A New Wave of Collaboration for Our Oceans
By Ecosystem Restoration Communities Staff, Ecosystem Restoration Communities
In January, we launched a brand-new Marine Ecosystems Community of Practice – a collaborative initiative bringing together four Ecosystem Restoration Communities (ERCs) working at the frontlines of coastal and marine restoration.
April 3, 2026





