Celebrating The 20th Anniversary Of The Foundation For Sustainable Forests With Wendell Berry’s 'A Forest Conversation' Essay On The Foundation's Founders, Mission & Roots

As the Foundation for Sustainable Forests celebrates its 20th year, they decided to look back to A Forest Conversation, an essay read by Wendell Berry that explores the organization’s founders, mission, and roots. 

In 2022, Wendell recorded his reading of the essay, which was first published a decade earlier in Farming Magazine in 2012, and later included in his 2015 collection titled Our Only World. 

His words offer rich perspectives and an insightful look at the critical importance of forest conservation and thoughtful management.

“When you find a farmer or forester who has united the inescapable economic concern with an equally compelling interest in ecology, that is when you had better stop and take notice.” – Wendell Berry description of Troy Firth, founder of the Foundation for Sustainable Forests.

Click here to listen to the essay.

Wendell Berry is an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer closely identified with rural Kentucky.

He is the author of over 50 books of poetry, fiction, and essays. His poetry celebrates the holiness of life and everyday miracles often taken for granted.

His message is essentially the same in all of his work-- humans must learn to live in harmony with the natural rhythms of the earth or perish.

Berry strongly believes that small-scale farming is essential to healthy local economies, and that strong local economies are essential to the survival of the species and the wellbeing of the planet.

Visit The Berry Center website to learn more about his writings and how they are being put to use advocating for small farmers, land conservation and healthy regional economies.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Foundation For Sustainable Forests website. Click Here to sign up for updates (top of page).  Click Here to support their work.

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[Posted: July 13, 2024]  PA Environment Digest