Economist John Ikerd to Lead a Community Presentation on Econmics, Agriculture
For the City-Times
Economist John Ikerd will headline a public dialogue at UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday, Jan. 14 in the Dreyfus University Center at 7 PM.
This free evening event will feature a talk by Dr. Ikerd and a panel discussion among several leaders from Central Wisconsin. There will also be a short time for audience participation – especially questions and answers on the topic of economic sustainability.
Dr. John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural and Applied Economics at University of Missouri, writes and speaks on issues related to sustainability with an emphasis on economics and agriculture. Dr. Ikerd is the author of The Essentials of Economic Sustainability in which he discusses how societies that give the utmost priority to economics are unsustainable. He also identifies essential hierarchies and principles of sustainable economies, essential market characteristics and government functions, and some connections between economic sustainability and happiness. Other books by Ikerd include The Case for Common Sense (2004), Sustainable Capitalism (2005), and A Revolution of the Middle… and The Pursuit of Happiness (2011) to name a few. Ikerd grew up on a small dairy farm in southwest Missouri. At the University of Missouri he earned his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees. For three decades he worked in various professorial positions at North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Georgia, and the University of Missouri before retiring from there in 2000.
Three panelists will react to Dr. Ikerd’s talk and respond to audience questions. Elizabeth Aguillera is the Executive Director of the Arts Alliance of Portage County, a group that advocates for organizations, individuals, and businesses that support art and culture in Portage County’s economic development, education, government planning, and quality of life. Joel Kuehnhold, owner of Lonely Oak Farm, is a founding member and officer of the Auburndale Food Cooperative and the Agricultural Education instructor at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids. Anello Mollica is Vice-President of Central Waters Brewing Company, which is the state’s only Green Masters certified brewery, and a leader in manufacturing sustainability. Anello is proud of the brewery’s growth from 750 barrels of beer per year in 1998 to 10,000 in 2013.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Jeremy Solin, Director of the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education (WCEE). The event begins at 7:00 PM at the Dreyfus University Center Theater (1015 Reserve St, Stevens Point) on the UWSP Campus, and it will last about an hour and a half. It is free and open to the public.
Along with all cooperating sponsors and partners, WCEE welcomes Dr. John Ikerd to Central Wisconsin for this free event (open to anyone interested) and also an in-depth workshop (for paid registrants) to be led by Ikerd throughout the remainder of that week. Sponsors and partners are listed along with additional event information on WCEE’s website, accessible here: http://bit.ly/1aiUprM. Following Dr. Ikerd’s visit to Central Wisconsin this January, there will be opportunities for any interested people to form and participate in ongoing learning communities to explore and pursue sustainable economic development opportunities in one’s own community.
For more information contact Jeremy Solin at [email protected].