The term "economics" comes from the ancient greek word “oekonomia,” which Aristotle defined as stewardship of the household in imitation of nature providing for her offspring. In this session, farmer, academic and businessman Henning Sehmsdorf will show how this alternative idea of economics can transform the management practices of the small-scale, self-sufficient farm. We will examine farm production logs and budgets and explore the difference between husbanding the land in order to meet the needs of households and communities and the usual profit-focused enterprise model. We will also consider how this relates to Rudolf Steiner’s dual vision of associative economics and of agriculture as the means by which to heal the earth.
