May 4, 2016
My first introduction to the extraordinary intellect of Jane Jacobs (whose 100th birthday would have been today) was at the 1983 Annual Schumacher Lecture. In her talk, “The Economy of Regions,” she argued for regional economic diversity, complexity, and interdependence. She imagined a myriad of small industries producing for regional markets—industries that depended on local … Continued
April 27, 2016
The smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton is careful to remind us that it really matters “who tells your story.” After all, who tells the story also determines which stories get told. On Wednesday last week, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced a plan to redesign the $5, $10, and $20 to include scenes from the fight … Continued
April 20, 2016
There is an argument that the emergence of a new economics based on human dignity and sustainability is a phenomenon that emerged from the environmental crisis and the modern corruption of bankers and financial markets. There is another argument that it goes back to the sinking of the SS Central America, carrying gold from Panama … Continued
April 12, 2016
Tonight from 5:00 to 7:00, join us at Dewey Hall in Sheffield, where students from this winter’s Entry to Entrepreneurship program will present their business plans to the public. This year’s students, who range in age from 13 to 23, have benefited from a curriculum co-developed with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s Berkshire Regional … Continued
March 18, 2016
There are many visions of what a new economy might look like: more local than global, more sharing than exploitative, more respectful of the earth than of profit. What’s missing in most of these visions, however, is the system architecture needed to guide the economy in those directions, and keep it headed there for the … Continued
February 5, 2016
The worth of a local business cannot be summarized by its balance sheet alone. As the Preservation Trust of Vermont notes, “many businesses, especially in… rural areas, play an irreplaceable part in community life that isn’t captured in the daily sales transactions.” Judy Wicks champions the creation of such “beautiful businesses,” the success of which … Continued
December 22, 2015
The Schumacher Center’s small office is in a big library. Shelves of books greet us in the morning, accompany us through the day, and beckon to be read as we prepare to leave. These are not just any books: Economist Fritz Schumacher’s 4,000-volume personal library with copious margin notes is heavy on philosophy, religion, literature, … Continued
December 11, 2015
Transitioning to an economic system that is both equitable and sustainable will require building a network of regional economies, each with a broad spectrum of place-based manufacturers producing for local needs. A strategy to achieve this objective is first to identify, and then replace locally, goods currently imported into a region. This would mean shifting … Continued
December 4, 2015
Every Friday morning for the past 48 years, Bob Geller has hosted a book club in his Fort Collins office. A retired chaplain at Colorado State University, under his care “the place grew thick with new ideas and unlikely relationships – a garden that forgot boundaries.” Searching for an appropriate gift for such a father, … Continued
November 12, 2015
At the 35th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures, both Bren Smith and Allan Savory advocated for managing the commons, rather than “letting nature just take its own course.” They spoke on behalf of climate-change abatement, food security, job creation, and the health of both land and sea. In describing how he transitioned from a position of … Continued
November 9, 2015
We hope to see you at 1Berkshire’s Creative Resources Conference this Thursday, November 12th, at the Hotel on North. We especially look forward to the keynote address, which will be delivered by Schumacher Center board member Matt Stinchcomb. Stinchcomb was one of the first four employees at Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade goods. He … Continued
October 30, 2015
We’re pleased to announce that we will be holding a talk by Rafael Hernández in Great Barrington on November 15th at 7:30pm. This talk is part of our continued work in Cuba under one of our newest programs, the Cuba-U.S. Agroecology Network. Our team was in Cuba last week building relationships with partners on the Cuban … Continued