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Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Series

Between 1988 and 1991, the National Agricultural Library’s AFSIC staff conducted and recorded one-on-one interviews with individuals identified as having had provided leadership, influence, or inspiration in the disciplines of alternative and/or sustainable agriculture. These video recollections offer a glimpse into the important issues of the time as well as those that continued to shape American agriculture.

 

About the Videos

Video Menu

Access the video in segments from the video menu.  Watch each segment consecutively to view the full interview. The title for each segment provides a brief description of the topics discussed.

Questions

The segments in the Questions section are drawn from the full interview. They duplicate video segments from the menu. These are not verbatim questions asked by the interviewer, but rather topics addressed by interviewee during the course of his interview. We hope that this will be an informative and interesting way to view the conversation.

Video lengths in minutes are approximate.

 

The National Agricultural Library does not verify the accuracy of the accounts described herein by participants in an Oral History Project. These oral histories are expressions of the views, memories and opinions of the interviewee. They do not represent the policy, views or official history of the United States Department of Agriculture or the National Agricultural Library.

Interviews

Dr. James Duke Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with James A. Duke.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1988.

Introduction (Duke)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. James A. Duke

Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Beltsville, Maryland

 

Dr. James A. Duke is a lecturer, author, plant explorer and former USDA botanist with the Agricultural Research Service. He created the groundbreaking Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at the USDA as well as publishing numerous books such as the Handbook of Legumes of World Economic Importance. Dr. Duke is also famed as an expert on herbs and alternative crop plants, penning titles such as the CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants, and many others.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Duke)
Questions: View videos (Duke)

Charles A. Francis Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Charles A. Francis with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1990.

Introduction (Francis)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Charles A. Francis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska

 

Dr. Charles A. Francis served as Director of the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Francis's research has focused on the areas of long-term and flexible crop rotations, on-farm research design and interpretation, and the interface between urban and rural areas. As an author, speaker, and professor, Dr. Francis is an influential spokesperson on behalf of sustainable agriculture.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Francis)
Questions: View videos (Francis)

Wes Jackson Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Wes Jackson with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1990.

Introduction (Jackson)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Wes Jackson

The Land Institute

Salina, Kansas

Dr. Wes Jackson is the co-founder, with Dana Jackson, of the Land Institute and has researched and influenced thought on the environment and agriculture in general and specifically perennial polyculture cropping systems based on the prairie ecosystem. He is a farmer, philosopher and author of several landmark books on the subject of sustainable agriculture.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Jackson)
Questions: View videos (Jackson)

Fred Kirschenmann Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Fred Kirschenmann with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1990.

Introduction (Kirschenmann)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Fred Kirschenmann

At the time of this interview, Dr. Kirschenmann had returned from the world of academia to operate a 3,000+ acre certified organic family farm in Windsor, North Dakota and successfully converted it to organic production. Currently, he shares an appointment as Distinguished Fellow for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University and as President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. He still oversees management of his family's farm and is a professor in the ISU Department of Religion and Philosophy. He is still active in sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation organizations and in demand as a conference speaker.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Kirschenmann)
Questions: View videos (Kirschenmann)

William J. Lockeretz Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with William J. Lockeretz with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1991.

Introduction (Lockeretz)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. William J. Lockeretz

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Dr. William J. Lockeretz was originally trained as a physicist, but turned his considerable research talents to environmental concerns, especially as they influence agriculture. He is an original thinker and a sought-after speaker who has long championed sustainable agriculture.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Lockeretz)
Questions: View videos (Lockeretz)

Jayne T. MacLean Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Jayne MacLean with an introduction by Jane Gates.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1990.

Introduction (MacLean)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Jayne MacLean

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center

National Agricultural Library

Beltsville, Maryland

Jayne MacLean was Coordinator of the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library, from 1986 until her retirement in December, 1993. She was one of the first USDA employees to openly support alternative agriculture.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (MacLean)
Questions: View videos (MacLean)

James Patrick Madden Oral History Interview

Interview with James Patrick Madden with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1990.

Introduction (Madden)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

James Patrick Madden

Institute of Alternative Agriculture

Greenbelt, Maryland

Dr. J. Patrick Madden was for many years a professor at Pennsylvania State University and acting director of USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, formerly known as LISA. He helped to design and develop the program.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Madden)
Questions: View videos (Madden)

Paul F. O'Connell Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Paul F. O'Connell with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1990.

Introduction (O'Connell)

Dr. Paul F. O'Connell

Deputy Administrator of the USDA's Cooperative State Research Service and Leadership for the Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) Program

Formerly the Deputy Administrator of the USDA's Cooperative State Research Service, Dr. O'Connell has provided leadership for the administration of the Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) Program since its inception in 1988.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (O'Connell)
Questions: View videos (O'Connell)

Robert Rodale Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Robert Rodale with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1990.

Introduction (Rodale)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Robert Rodale

The Rodale Institute

Emmaus, Pennsylvania

Robert Rodale is the son of J.I. Rodale, both pioneering promoters of organic farming and gardening in the United States. Robert Rodale carried on his father's work through publications, lectures, agricultural research and inspirational leadership. He built the family publishing company into a major entity and established the Rodale Institute - a leading organization in sustainable agricultural research.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Rodale)
Questions: View videos (Rodale)

Dick Thompson Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Dick Thompson with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1991.

Introduction (Thompson)

Dick Thompson

Boone, Iowa

Dick Thompson is a farmer who advocates and practices sustainable agriculture techniques, sharing his knowledge through lectures, workshops and field days. He is a nationally known expert on ridge tillage.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Thompson)
Questions: View videos (Thompson)

Garth Youngberg Oral History Interview

Interview by Jane Gates with Garth Youngberg with an introduction by Jayne MacLean.

National Agricultural Library. USDA. Beltsville, MD. 1991.

Introduction (Youngberg)

Leaders in Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture

Garth Youngberg

Institute of Alternative Agriculture

Greenbelt, Maryland

Dr. I. Garth Youngberg was the founder and director of the Institute for Alternative Agriculture, producing one of the first journals that focused on the research in the field of alternative agriculture. His work in the field of agriculture has had a large affect on his contemporaries leading them to reexamine conventional agricultural practices and explore alternative approaches. In 1988, Dr. Youngberg received the MacArthur Fellowship Award for his work on sustainable agriculture.

National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record

Video Menu: View video in segments (Youngberg)
Questions: View videos (Youngberg)

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