Subject: Uncl: Dennis Avery's Book (fwd)

From: Victor Guest <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 12:54:04 WST

From: <[email-masked]>

From: Rob Rutherford
Animal Science Department
Cal Poly

I have enjoyed seeing the comments over the last few weeks regarding Mr.
Avery's approach to saving the world. I was introduced to the book by one of
the department head's here at the University. I read a bit of it, enough to
know that I wasn't likely to gain a lot more wisdom by reading the whole thing
- maybe a mistake - but I started to raise the same sorts of questions and
viewpoints being expressed on this conference.

The more I thought about it, however, the more I tended to drift to another
concern. The department head I mentioned happens to be the head of the
Agriculture Education department. They are responsible for the credentialling
of most of the secondary school teachers involved with agriculture - over 1000
teachers state wide. He is totally taken with Avery's approach, and plans to
make the blueprint for the strategic plan for education in agriculture in
California from now until the year 2020. Politically, this group is very
strong and well positioned to make this happen. I am then reminded - this is
how knowledge is created in our society. Here is a very articulate writer and
speaker, whose message fits the current paradigm - and appears to address the
concerns of the "environmentalists" (who are stuck in the same decision making
mode) - so obviously, the message is perfectly understood. Unfortunately, the
system is in place to further reinforce the current paradigms through the
highest levels of government and down through the education system.

How do we break through?

Rob Rutherford