Hi Everyone,

I just finished my interview with Philip Ackerman-Leist, and came away feeling more hopeful than I have in a while. His new book, A Precautionary Tale, tells the story of how how one small town in Italy banned pesticides, preserved their food heritage, and inspired a movement. Not only is it a great story, but it is inspirational! In times like these, where we often feel powerless, it shows how the power of people can make a difference when we come together over a focused cause.

Philip is a farmer, author, and educator with decades of experience and expertise in founding and in leading sustainable agriculture and food systems programs for undergraduate and graduate students. At Sterling College, where he is the Dean of Professional Studies and the School of the New American Farmstead, he leads classes in ecological stewardship and sustainability. On his farm, he raises grassfed heritage cattle, and lives off the grid.  He is currently collaborating with his partners at the Lexicon of Sustainability to create a multimedia project called “Toppling Goliath”,  which is focused on the first town in the world to pass a binding referendum calling for the elimination of all synthetic pesticides. At home and as an educator, Philip combines a farmer’s pragmatism with a teacher’s collaborative quest for the future. He says “Sometimes it works.”

Check out his upcoming 8 week online course (April 6-May 31): “Surviving the Future: Conversations for Our Time” It was planned before the Coronavirus hit us, but now more than ever, it is very apropos!

If you missed our interview, you can listen to it here!

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