Wendell Berry Credo: Sustainability



In his collection The Art of the Commonplace, Wendell Berry enumerates and expands on several credos that he believes are key to defining “one’s own humanity” (31). One example is sustainability, which he addresses in his essay “People, Land, and Community.” Sustainability is not simply the act of farming; instead, it is a dynamic, continual process that requires patience and longevity to leave a legacy of responsible agrarianism. In an interview given to Joshua Yates of The Hedgehog Review, Berry dispels the notion that sustainability is something that can be achieved by an individual person; rather, it must be a cooperative effort between not only the land and the farmer, but the community and future generations (Yates). This act of farming “should fit harmoniously into a pattern of relationships…. that rhyme analogically from ecosystem to crop, from field to farmer” (190). Sustainability is, and must necessarily be, a conscious, cooperative effort. To cultivate sustainable practices, one must possess a willingness to engage harmoniously in the dynamic process and be willing “to do it—all of it, properly” (187).