Towards Agriculture for the Future

The future of food and agriculture are true and urgent challenges of our time. Questions of world hunger, food-security, and food-sovereignty are issues needing immediate attention and practical solutions. Currently two main approaches to growing food are being practiced around our globe - the traditional and industrial forms of agriculture.  In our estimation both need to evolve. What is the appropriate development paradigm for the agriculture of the future? This is the question that confronts us. And it is here that the Institute for Mindful Agriculture will focus its attention and hopes to make its contribution. 

We believe that our 30 plus years of experience in biodynamic agriculture and farm-based education at Hawthorne Valley Farm, as well as applied social action research through the Presencing Institute afford us unique perspectives into the current issues around food and agriculture.

Why “Mindful”?

Mindfulness is a uniquely human capacity.  It describes our ability to consciously focus our attention on both action and reflection, to experience and be aware of our internal and the external world.  As a term, mindfulness originally appeared in old Buddhist texts; “sati” – mindfulness – stands for awareness, attention, and remembering.  We believe that growing our own quality of awareness in this way can provide a necessary skill to truly address the many challenges that the future holds, certainly in the areas of food and agriculture.... read more