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May
Robert Rodale - Pioneer Advocate of Organic Farming
and Family Health
Robert Rodale, an exponent of organic farming and
the head of a publishing empire whose magazines
offered the world the very best information in
gardening, health and fitness, died in 1990 at the
age of 60
“What can be more valuable now than a
small garden, free of synthetic fertilizers and
pesticide poisons, yielding food that tastes as
good as the vegetables and fruits we were able to
buy in markets years ago? Valuable not only to the
body but to the spirit” –Bob
Rodale
At the time of his death, Rodale was in the
Soviet Union –working to establish a
Russian-language edition of The New Farmer,
one of several publications of Rodale Press devoted
to an approach in farming that reduces reliance on
chemicals.
A prolific thinker and writer, and activist,
Robert Rodale wrote more than ten books including
his classic work, Composting,,The Best Gardening
Ideas I Know, Good Bug Bad Bug, Rodale Press Guide
to Organic Living, Rodale’s Organic Gardening,
The Prevention Guide to Better Health and Organic
Way to Mulching.
The Rodale Press was founded in 1942 by J. I.
Rodale, Mr. Rodale's father. The son joined the
business in 1949 and built it into an
internationally known publishing concern.
Their magazines included Prevention, Organic
Gardening, Runner's World, Backpacker, Bicycling,
Men's Health and American Woodworker.
Robert “Bob” Rodale was chairman and
chief executive of Rodale Press. He devoted much of
his time in recent years to the Rodale Institute, a
nonprofit organization seeking to use existing
resources to make agriculture more profitable and
biologically sound. Few people know that Bob
competed in the Olympics in rifle shooting and was
inducted into the U.S, Bicycling Hall of Fame in
1991.
He formed a nonprofit – The Institute for
Regenerative Agriculture -- I was privileged to
work with Bob on the Institute’s membership
development, direct marketing and fundraising.
A warm, light-hearted man, Bob’s enthusiasm
was contagious. In private conversations with me,
he would talk openly about the spirituality of
gardening and the wonderment of seeing
transformation from seed to plant to the
fulfillment and Joy of Harvest Time!.
Decades before his time, Bob, the great
visionary anticipated the the need for urban
farming and considered spiritual communities and
local congregations the ideal platforms for organic
food production in large cities.
Rodale Press grew out of the ideas of J. I.
Rodale, who grew up in New York City but became
passionately devoted to the science of
agriculture.
He was working as an auditor for the Internal
Revenue Service in Pittsburgh in the late 1930's
when he read about organic-farming research in
Britain.
He bought an abandoned farm in Emmaus, Pa. to
experiment with organic practices and soon he
developed his doctrine of regenerative agriculture,
which seeks to save and rebuild soil worn out by
conventional farming.
The following year the elder Rodale began
Organic Gardening & Farming, his first major
publishing venture. Prevention magazine was started
in 1950 and New Farm followed a few years
later.
Sophisticated Marketing: Rodale Press became
known for its sophisticated direct-marketing
techniques that promote not only subscriptions to
the magazines but the sale of books published by
the company.
While most publishers seek out the young and
affluent, Rodale had great success pursuing
middle-aged and older readers. Although the company
has sought in recent years to broaden its base
among younger readers, the majority of Prevention's
copies go to subscribers over 50 years of age.
Mr. Rodale traveled around the globe seeking
ideas for his publications. In 1973, in China, he
chanced upon a book on ear acupuncture. Against the
advice of colleagues he had it translated and
published in the United States. It went through
several printings.
In recent years he returned to China seeking to
persuade agriculture officials to reverse their
quest for chemically aided farming and to return to
ancient organic methods.
Bob also conceived the Prevention Index, an
annual survey conducted by the Louis Harris polling
organization that tracks changes in the preventive
health behavior of Americans.
Although the Rodale family became wealthy from
its publishing ventures, Bob who attended Lehigh
University before joining his father in publishing,
continued to live in a modest brick house
surrounded by his beloved gardens.
At the Rodale Institute, a 305-acre experimental
farm in Maxatawny, Pa., a staff of agronomists
developed farming techniques that have attained
worldwide use.
Robert Rodale, the son of J.I. Rodale-- founder
of the organic movement in the United States --
grew up in a very exciting time. The organic
pioneers worldwide were developing an idea they
never knew would have such an impact on the world
today.
In the United States especially, J.I. and Bob
Rodale were key leaders in this pioneering group,
helping to design the blueprint for today's
burgeoning organic food acceptance and market
expansion.
They were able to persevere and succeed during
these challenging years because they found strength
in each other -- strength came from an
understanding, love, and respect for the soil and
for nature it.
"I will always remember J.I. Rodale not only as
my father, but as a man who taught me to think of
myself as an organic person, trying to live in
nature, striving always to improve the environment
while working to improve myself, too. That was the
message to me, and it will live on for a long
time."
This philosophy was developed from the practical
experience of working with the soil.
“My father lived on the original Organic
Gardening Experimental Farm in Emmaus,
Pennsylvania. He designed this diversified farm
with the primary goal of growing enough organic
food to feed his family.”
“A secondary goal was to conduct
experiments that would help evolve and define
organic gardening and farming techniques. And
finally, J.I. wanted the farm to be a place where
people of all ages could come and learn firsthand
about the principles of gardening and farming
organically.”
“But perhaps even more importantly, the
original Organic Gardening Experimental Farm was
the perfect training ground for what my father was
to become: the world's greatest organic journalist.
That farm experience -- living, working, and
personally experiencing the connection between
soil, human, and environmental health helped him
develop his insight into the world around him."
“Through all of his practical experience --
whether making and applying compost on the farm or
writing about the people he actually visited and
learned from – this would remain the
foundation of his work and vision. And I was
privileged to continue his work and expand his
vision throughout my life.”
©2010, Forrest
Craver
* * *
Man becomes great exactly in the degree to which
he works for the welfare
of his fellow man. - Mahatma Gandhi
Forrest
Craver has been doing men’s work for more than
20 years. He was senior interviewer for Wingspan:
Journal of the Male Spirit for many years. He has
led or co-led more than 40 retreats or workshops
for men including The Mankind Project, Men in
Recovery, and regional clergy retreats for United
Methodist and ELCA denominations. He is a lawyer
and a nationally recognized fundraising consultant
for nonprofit groups. He is the author of a short
book of Spiritual Poetry entitled “This Well
Has No Bottom” and is finishing a book about
intergenerational breakthrough approaches for boys
and men in American culture. His websites are
cravercreativeservices.com/and
transitioncolorado.ning.com/profile/forrestcraver
or eMail.He
lives and works in the Denver metro
area.
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