America | Deep Agroecology – The Call of the Land

The History of Organic Farming in America is the title of an oral history project undertaken by Anneliese Abbott. The impressive collection of recordings and transcripts she has gathered will eventually be archived in the Agriculture Collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

S. McFadden circa 1985

I was happy and also honored to be one of the subjects interviewed for her project. Here’s a link to the just-published transcript of the interview that Anneliese conducted with me earlier this month. While I do share some general observations about organic farms and food, and CSAs, the interview covers a wide swath of my life experience.

Of note, Annelisse is based at Malabar Farm, reknowned as the most famous farm in the world in the 1940s for its pioneering sustainable systems. The farm is located in the Pleasant Valley of Richland County, Ohio.

To round out some of the stories related in the interview, I’ve added an archival photo from ‘back In the day’ — the 1980s when I was writing the weekly Organic Outlook newspaper column for The Monadnock Ledger in Peterborough, New Hampshire.

And to round out the theme of author interviews, I offer this link to an interview that covers not just farming, but also conversation about the general trajectory of my writing career, and other subjects that have drawn my attention.

Dear Readers,
Agroecology remains my passion. I continue to see it as our main chance to reckon with all of the global challenges now so fiercely active in environmental, social, and spiritual realms. Yet I’ve had little time over the last year to write directly on the subjects of our farms, our food, and our future.

For many months my work life has been focused solely on writing the biography of a visionary, native leader. There’s a bit more work to do on that project before it’s complete and I’m free to write again about deep agroecology.

In the meantime, as of July 2022, I’ve spruced up one of my older nonfiction books, Tales of the Whirling Rainbow. I’ve given it a new cover and new formatting. It’s the slimmest of volumes, but it still goes right to the heart of the matter of respecting each other and the natural world we share as the source of our lives. In that sense, it does explore the wisdom themes that are at the heart of deep agroecology. Thus in right relationship among practice and theory, I offer this small treasure to readers for the beauty of the earth and of our lives.

The edition of the book now graced with a new cover and format is available at this Amazon link as either print or eBook format.

Here’s the text from the book’s back cover:

Tales of the Whirling Rainbow is a journalist’s account of some of the key myths and mysteries of the Americas, and an electrifying exploration of how those myths are resounding in real time.

Like an atom of gold, this wee book radiates deep beauty. It delivers authentic inspiration for our 21st Century souls.

Tales of the Whirling Rainbow conveys critical insights into core wisdom teachings at the heart of North America’s unfolding saga. Respect for these knowings is fundamental to our survival, and to our spiritual development.

As the Sun awakens and Earth changes intensify, our lives attain high velocity. At this time and in this manner, elders across The Americas informed the author, the human beings who are the different colors and faiths of the world will have opportunities to heal their web of relationships with each other, and with the natural world.