Wes Jackson

Fellow, Sustainable Agriculture

Food & Agriculture

Wes Jackson is one of the foremost figures in the international sustainable agriculture movement. Founder and president of The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, he has pioneered reserach in Natural Systems Agriculture — including perennial grains, perennial polycultures, and intercropping — for over 30 years. He was a professor of biology at Kansas Wesleyan and later established the Environmental Studies program at California State University, Sacramento, where he became a tenured full professor. He is the author of several books including Becoming Native to This Place (1994), Altars of Unhewn Stone (1987), and New Roots for Agriculture (1980).

The work of the Land Institute has been featured extensively in the popular media, including The Atlantic Monthly, Audubon, The MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour, and All Things Considered. Life magazine predicted Wes Jackson will be among the 100 "most important Americans of the 20th century." He is a recipient of the Pew Conservation Scholars award and a MacArthur Fellowship, and has been listed as one of Smithsonian's "35 Who Made a Difference". Wes has an M.A. in botany from University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in genetics from North Carolina State University.

videos

An Evening with Wes Jackson

length:   credit: David Brower Center

On April 5, the David Brower Center welcomed environmental scholar Wes Jackson as he discussed his recent book, Consulting the Genius of the Place: An Ecological Approach to a New Agriculture with Executive Director Amy Tobin. Jackson is the president and founder of The Land Institute, an organization committed to developing the field of Natural Systems Agriculture, which focuses on the ecological stability of systems.

This is an clip from the evening. See more inspiring clips and highlights here.

audio

Growing Home with Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson

length: 55:00   credit: Edible Radio

Wendell Berry, Wes JacksonGrowing Home host Marla Camp, publisher of Edible Austin moderated an on-stage conversation with Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson when they came to Austin in December of 2011 to lend their support to Edible Austin's annual fundraiser for two central Texas food nonprofits, Urban Roots and Sustainable Food Center. They shared their thoughts and wisdom with a sold out house—a show produced by Edible Austin with support from University of Texas professor Robert Jensen and the Paramount Theatre.

Latest Publications

A 50-Year Farm Bill

Wes Jackson    Jan 04, 2009   

[Excerpt] THE extraordinary rainstorms last June caused catastrophic soil erosion in the grain lands of Iowa, where there were gullies 200 feet wide. But even worse damage is done over the long term under normal rainfall … >>

Can We Restore the Prairie—And Still Support Ourselves?

Wes Jackson    Dec 12, 2011   

[Excerpt]: Since ripping open the prairie for modern monocultures, we're losing soil and fertility. Agricultural pioneer Wes Jackson says there's another way. The Grass was the Country as the Water is the Sea. —Willa … >>

FOOD: Tackling the Oldest Environmental Problem: Agriculture and Its Impact on Soil

Wes Jackson    Dec 13, 2010   

EXCERPT: Now there's the reality of climate change.  We've gone into overshoot and we are in economic trouble.  We look to more economic growth, but once economics and population growth absorb all of the … >>

Nature as Measure: The Selected Essays of Wes Jackson

Wes Jackson

In Nature as Measure, a collection of Jackson’s essays from 'Altars of Unhewn Stone' and 'Becoming Native to This Place', these ideas of land conservation and education are written from the point of view of a man who has … >>

press coverage

Wes Jackson named one of Yes! Magazine's Breakthrough 15

Wes Jackson  

Post Carbon Fellow Wes Jackson was named as one of Yes! Magazine's Breakthrough 15. The 15 which also included Will Allen of Growing Power are considered to be people whose ideas and work are transforming the way we live. See … >>