Recommended Reads
Want to take a deeper dive into food system reform issues?
Here are some great places to start.
HEC's "Alternatives to Industrial Agriculture:
Farm Practices That
Improve Ecosystem Health"
HEC recently created a two-page handout that highlights the harmful impacts of industrialized agriculture on Indiana's ecosystem health and provides an overview of farm practices that can restore the condition of our ailing ecosystems. This is a great one to share with friends!
HEC Farm Practices that improve ecosystem health handout
Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial by Corban Addison

Published in 2022, the nonfiction book Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial by Corban Addison recounts an inspiring David vs. Goliath story about citizens of North Carolina who fought back against a corporate giant (Smithfield) that was polluting their community. Read The New York Times review of Wastelands entitled "When Thousands of Hogs Are Your Neighbors." It's also in e-book and audiobook formats that are available at your local library.
What if CAFOs Were History?

The John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future recently published a book entitled What if CAFOs Were History? that explores the beneficial impacts could be achieved if we were to end chemical-dependent industrialized agriculture for a model that prioritizes soil health. It focuses on three areas where industrialized agriculture has failed--ecology, economy, and equity--and examines how regenerative agriculture instead demonstrates promise in these areas. You can read or download the book for free from the John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future website.
What if CAFOs were History book image
Photo of Dr. John Ikerd
"Twenty Responses to Defenders of CAFOs" from Dr. John Ikerd
Do you believe in a more sustainable food system in theory, but question whether it is even possible in today's world? Or, perhaps you truly believe that our existing food system is broken and that we can do better, but you find it difficult to communicate this to others?  Dr. John Ikerd, an author, economist, and professor emeritus of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri, offers some characteristically thoughtful responses to twenty common comments and questions that you may just be pondering yourself.
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You may remember Dr. Ikerd from his appearance at HEC's Sustainable Food & Farming Forum in 2021. Did you know that HEC has a Factory Farms & Food System Reform playlist on our YouTube channel where you can watch all of our workshops and forums?
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In solidarity,
Jeni Jenkins
Senior Special Projects Coordinator
Hoosier Environmental Council
Susie McGovern
Senior Water Policy Associate
Hoosier Environmental Council