The Future of Agriculture Workshop: Will We Be Farming with Wes Jackson or Terry Kastens?

Course Description: This course will look at trends in agriculture. Wes Jackson is the founder and director of the Land Institute, located in Salina, Kansas; and Terry Kastens is the retired professor of Ag Economics at Kansas State University who still speaks nationally about production agriculture needing to “scale up and get bigger.” What are we seeing in agriculture today? Where will we be in ten years? Is one way better than the other?

Bio: Josh Svaty is a 5th generation farmer from Ellsworth, KS. He and his wife Kimberly own and operate Free State Farms, a diversified wheat, corn, soybeans, milo, and sunflower operation. From 2003 to 2009, he served in the Kansas Legislature. For 5 years, he was the ranking minority member on the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. He also served on the House Utilities Committee. During the legislature’s debate over Sunflower Electric’s proposed coal-fired power plant, he was a voice of reason, advocating for conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. During the Parkinson Administration, he served as Secretary of Agriculture and is currently a Senior Adviser for EPA Region 7, presently headquartered in Kansas City, KS.