A Tribute to Wendell Berry, Friend of Floyd
Wendell Berry was an inspiration to many residents of Floyd. He gave voice and direction to the values of rural living, the truth of which touched old-timers and newcomers alike.
By William Crenshaw, board member and co-founder of Sustain Floyd
Wendell Berry, the poet-philosopher of small farming who died Monday in Kentucky, was no stranger to Floyd. While his reputation as a voice for sustainable agriculture was international, he visited here numerous times and once gave a talk at Floyd High School.
He practiced horse-drawn farming himself and was a friend of Jason Rutledge, a horse-logger and conservationist here in the county. But more than just an occasional visitor, Wendell Berry was an inspiration to many residents of Floyd. He gave voice and direction to the values of rural living, the truth of which touched old-timers and newcomers alike.
During a conversation one morning over breakfast at the Blue Ridge Cafe, Mr. Berry encouraged us to cherish what we have here, to support our farmers and our local food providers, and to work together to maintain the soul of this place.
During his long career, Mr. Berry wrote eloquently about the importance of giving care and reverence to the land and its creatures. He practiced this in his daily life on the farm he loved in Port Royal, Kentucky. There he died on Aug. 31 at 92 years of age.
Mr. Berry professed that human life was a gift, and in gratitude we humans need always strive to be in harmony with the natural world. In his commentaries on modern life, he voiced concern that capitalism as currently practiced had a corrupting force in America and in particular large-scale corporate agriculture posed a grave threat to the land and the people.
His message was one of taking time to know the place one lived and being responsible to the Earth under one's feet – this being a way to love the Creator's gift. He referred to mountaintop mining as blasphemy, a desecration of the sacred, and he publicly fought to end the practice. He once stated, “The care of the Earth is our most ancient, most worthy, and most pleasing responsibility...” He was hailed by many as the prophetic American voice of our day.
In addition to his many literary awards, Mr. Berry was presented the National Humanities Medal of Honor by President Obama “for his achievements as a poet, novelist, farmer, and conservationist.”
Learn more about Mr. Berry, his life's work, and legacy at www.berrycenter.org.
