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Unit 1: Conceptual Framework and Historical Foundations of Sustainable Agriculture

Seventh-generation farmer Jim Mitchell added an ice cream parlor to his Delaware dairy farm, vastly improving profits. (Edwin Remsberg)

Two final questions to think about as you launch into this course:

• Given the many challenges facing them, why do you think farmers continue to farm the way they do?

• What do some of the farmers you know tell you excites them most about their work?

These questions invite us to think about what motivates farmers and ranchers, despite incredible risks and difficulties. Click on the image to read how Jim Mitchell developed and strengthened his dairy farm business in the midst of intense suburban development.