Reflections of local organic farm coop is chapter in book
Ray Person of Bluffton, recently co-authored a chapter in the book “Religion and Sustainable Agriculture: World Spiritual Traditions and Food Ethics.”
Person and his wife, Elizabeth Kelly, are part of a farm coop on their farm in rural Bluffton.
The farm coop has 17 families involved, plus a waiting list of persons interesting in joining it.
“We produce meat, eggs, veggies, and fruits, using organic practices and working together as a group,” he said of the coop.
“Our three main goals are to produce quality food using organic practices, to build human community, and to rebuild non-human community through the improvement of wildlife habitat,” he said.
Person, professor of religion at Ohio Northern University, co-authored the chapter with Mark Dixon, an ONU philosophy colleague who specializes in environmental ethics.
Person explained that their chapter includes a discussion of Martin Heideggar's philosophy as it applies to three Mennonite Central Committee cookbooks and to the farm coop.
The three cookbooks are “More with Less,” “Extending the Table,” and “Simply in Season.” The cookbooks are available in Bluffton at Ten Thousand Villages.
Todd LeVasseur, one of the book editors, met Person at an ONU conference. Forrest Clingerman of Bluffton, and Dixon organized that conference.
Person said, “LeVasseur was interested in our farm and asked if I could write something about the farm for the volume.”
Adding that, “Mark (Dixon) and I had already started a conversation about writing something together about the farm and environmental ethics, so it was easy for us to agree to contribute to this project.”
The book is published by the University Press of Kentucky.
Stories Posted This Week
Friday, August 29, 2025
Thursday, August 28, 2025
- Pirate girls golf close 2nd at tri; Bauman 1st
- Pirate boys golf 2nd in NWC quad-match
- Pirate girls tennis loss at Wapak
- "You Made It" Forum welcomes Class of 2029
- 2nd annual Bluffton Porchfest celebrates live music
- Learn to play bridge at the Senior Center
- Blanchard Valley Health System enhances “Find-a-Doc”
- Taste of Bluffton serves as mixer for students and residents
- Heart to Heart: New Blood Pressure Guidelines
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
- Mayberry Rd. closure Aug. 27-28
- Janet M. Leonard was a teacher
- Pirates boys golf wins NWC tri
- Inside Innovations brings established design studio to Bluffton
- Walking thru Autumn hikes include Motter Park
- Colloquium Presentation: Emotional Education in 18th Century Germany
- Student to Share Lessons from Study Abroad Experience in Mexico