June 1, 1995
Roused by the excited activities of the many returning birds to the woods and fields surrounding the Schumacher Center, Bob Swarm worked diligently to complete construction of the sixteen unit purple martin house. It sits now in the orchard atop a fifteen-foot pole, overlooking the Berkshire Mountains, awaiting its first shiny-feathered tenants, a testament to … Continued
October 25, 1994
Dear Friend, I would like your help. I am now seventy-six years old, and I have decided to dedicate the rest of my life to completing the E. F. Schumacher Center and placing it on solid financial ground. I need the help of long time friends and supporters of my work to accomplish this task. … Continued
March 19, 1994
Monterey Common Cents: Notes on a project in process This paper represents a dialog that is going on right now between the staff of the Schumacher Center and a citizens group in Monterey, a small town in Western Massachusetts. The thoughts should not be considered to be finished; instead, think of them as part of … Continued
December 1, 1993
The day was sunny, the lecturers inspired, the audience was wonderful, and the Yale Student Environmental Coalition delighted everyone with a delicious locally-grown lunch: the Thirteenth Annual Schumacher Lectures were a resounding success! For those of you who could not attend, you can still share in the thoughts and work of Wes Jackson, Winona LaDuke, … Continued
September 1, 1993
This year’s Annual Lectures will focus on new forms of land holding, and present three speakers intimately familiar with the challenges of land reform work: Wes Jackson, co-founder of The Land Institute, whose current project is the revitalization of Kansas prairie town Mattfield Green; Winona LaDuke, an Anishinaabe of the White Earth Reservation in northern … Continued
July 10, 1993
What a wonderful response to our March mailing! In that letter we (Terry, Susan, Matt, and Becklev) introduced ourselves and described the projects that we have undertaken for the Schumacher Center. In reply, many of you not only became members or renewed memberships, but wrote or called the Center to express your enthusiasm for our … Continued
April 1, 1992
Vision for a Sustainable Economy The Schumacher Center for a New Economics was founded in 1980 to further and promote the vital work which Fritz Schumacher began and outlined in his book Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. His vision of a sustainable economy remains one of the most compelling arguments for the … Continued
December 1, 1991
Schumacher Center Board member David Ehrenfeld first suggested that the Center publish the Annual Lectures in pamphlet form. He reminded us of the days in which pamphlets played a major role in the cultural life of the country. Ideas could be circulated for discussion quickly and affordably. In fact, some of the prized pieces … Continued
October 3, 1991
There is much to share: SCHUMACHER CENTER PRESIDENT TO SPEAK On Thursday, October 10th at 7:30 PM, Robert Swann, President of the Center, will speak at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. The topic is Community Economic Development. Bob will explore the institutional tools required for regional economic transformation and revitalization. At a time in the … Continued
July 25, 1991
Martha Shaw thought of a community cheering when she designed the Deli Dollar. On May 20th, the Washington Post featured a Deli Dollar on the front page, one of four Berkshire scrips issued in cooperation with the Self Help Association for a Regional Economy (SHARE). Since then the phone at the Schumacher Center office that … Continued
March 28, 1990
With the rest of the world we have been following the dramatic events in Eastern Europe.Again it is an issue of scale: the failure of a large centralized economy. The peoples of Eastern Europe are demanding cultural and economic self-determination. But while the old is being thrown off, there is a desperate need for examples … Continued
April 1, 1985
Bioregional Economics Fritz Schumacher argued that from a truly economic point of view, the most rational way to produce is “from local resources, for local needs.” Jane Jacobs, speaker at the Third Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures, re-emphasized Fritz’s point through her analysis of a healthy region as one creating “import replacing” industries on a … Continued