In the opening session of the Agriculture Conference, we present three projects from Mexico, the United States, and Namibia. In each case, we can see how local conditions inspire and shape the creation of communities that bridge different aspects of the farming world.
Again and again, the farm becomes the source and origin of community building—reaching far beyond food production into education, childcare, medicine, and other essential social functions. These initiatives show how agriculture can become the heart of a living community.
Anna Jones-Crabtree (United States)
Anna is the co-founder of Vilicus Farms, a 12,500-acre first-generation organic grain farm in Montana, run together with her husband, Doug. She is a champion of regenerative farming, biodiversity, and innovative partnerships that safeguard ecological and social futures. As Executive Director of the Vilicus Institute, she mentors and trains emerging organic farmers on the Northern Great Plains. Anna holds a Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering, serves on the Bee Better Advisory Board, chairs the Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT board, and works with the U.S. Forest Service in data and geospatial leadership.
Maria Esther Nieto (Mexico)
Maria works with Tosepan, a network of cooperatives with 35,000 members in Puebla, Mexico. The movement is dedicated to building a holistic, sustainable, democratically governed local economy rooted in the indigenous culture, language, and ecological knowledge of the Sierra Norte.
Clemens Voigts (Namibia)
Representing Krumhuk, an 8,500-hectare farm in Namibia surrounded by cattle, horses, sun-baked soils, and rugged dry landscapes, Clemens and Charlene continue a vision of collaborative, community-rooted agriculture. After completing biodynamic training in Germany and England—including at Emerson College—Clemens settled on the land and today, together with partners and the community, runs the farm biodynamically.
