The Perennial Turn in Ag and Culture

Can new forms of thinking help shift humanity from destructive and unjust practices to compatible partnerships with all life? Blending insights from physics, philosophy, and life sciences with ancient and indigenous understandings, we will explore an emerging story of thinking more like a prairie than a plow. We start by discussing old ways of thinking we have inherited--surplus, power hierarchies, mechanistic worldviews, separation from a creative sacred Earth--that have wrought negative impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems and cultures. Then we will deepen our exploration of perennialism by engaging with community groups to develop teaching modules that will help create new options and opportunities for both agriculture and society. 3 hrs. sem