Wendell Berry died on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. Known best by conservationists as the author of The Unsettling of America, Berry had written more than 50 books of verse, essays, and fiction by his death at age 92. It is difficult to work in the local food movement without giving a nod to Berry for all he did.

I was late coming to Berry, having first read him in 2010. This was the time of my immersion in the local food movement where one of my friends referred me to his work. I never read something by Berry and have been disappointed. I wish I could write so well.

What is there to make of such a life? We must each decide where we stand on whatever issues that move us. Then we must chart a course to address them, never wavering, always creatively engaged. If we are lucky, we will create an opus like Berry’s. We should only be so lucky.