Category: 2009 Society of Environmental Journalists conference

A challenge for urban (and suburban) dwellers

"There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace." -- Aldo Leopold in "A Sand County Almanac"

During a session Sunday we were lucky enough to talk with conservationist Aldo Leopold's biographer, two of his children (respected scientists in their own right), a former chief of the U.S. Forest Service, and famed author and farmer Wendell Berry. During the discussion, a questioner asked how Leopold's philosophy of land ownership fit into the modern world, where the majority of people are city dwellers. How can people form a connection to the land when they have no or little interaction with it?

The answers included by participating in community supported agriculture, shopping at farmers markets and volunteering in natural areas. We have the opportunity to do all of those things here in southeastern Michigan whether by buying a plot in a CSA farm, shopping at Eastern market or donating our time at a Metropark or urban farm.

The day before the Leopold session, I had the opportunity to explore the farmers market in Madison, Wis., which we were told is the largest of its kind in the United States. The market encircled the state Capitol and was packed with people interacting with farmers, who did their best to show people, through photos and words, the land from which their food came. What a powerful statement, I thought, to have this market outside the Capitol. And, then I remembered that Michigan now has its own Capitol market.

So, we city Michiganians have ways to connect with the land, and the state is offering us encouragement. The question being, how can we appreciate something we don't know and if we don't know something, why would we act to conserve it?

But, following the Leopold session, questions about the author's land ethic continued to be the topic of informal discussion. Some wondered aloud whether the question had been correctly interpreted or if the real issue wasn't whether it is time for us to abandon the idea of land ownership as the core of our national character.

What do you think? How can urban and suburban dwellers best connect with the land? Is Leopold's land ethic outdated?