In his book, Building The Agricultural City—A Handbook For Rural Renewal, Robert Wolf asks the question:
“Is there a means by which we can construct a society in which the human being is central, not peripheral, with an economy that serves us? One in which it is understood that Nature has tolerance limits and that by crossing them too often we will destroy the foundations of our existence? Can we construct a society in which work is meaningful? One in which our voices are heard? “
The slim volume lays out the framework and makes an argument for building “agricultural cities” by way of strong regional economies. While Wolf is primarily focused on the area he calls home— the “Driftless” region of the upper Midwest encompassing Northwestern Illinois, Northeastern Iowa, Southwestern Wisconsin, and Southeastern Minnesota— the concept can be applied to any regional economy.
Arguing that the global economy has fragmented our communities as rural America and its people have been treated as “third world countries” (extracting natural resources without commitment to the people and economies that live in these regions), Wolf suggests that regionalism can serve as a counter-balance to the interests of large and powerful influences of multi-national corporations. Building The Agricultural City sets out to help walk us through an alternative vision: one that places people and our natural surroundings at the heart of our societies and economies.