Occupation: Writer

Place of Residence: Portland, Oregon

Background and Personal History: John is a writer and author who lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Lisa D. Holmes, and their springer spaniel, Sadie. John grew up on a family farm in central Kansas, and attended the University of Kansas where he focused on creative writing and contemporary American poetry. While at KU, he was awarded first place in the William Herbert Carruth Memorial Poetry Competition. Following successful careers in marketing communications, John and Lisa currently operate their own communications design firm, Yulan Studio.

John’s writing credits include the non-fiction books Planting A Future: Portraits from Oregon’s New Farm Movement and Winemakers of the Willamette Valley: Pioneering Vintners from Oregon’s Wine Country. He also has published a collection of poetry, Repairing Shattered Glass.

Special Interest in Sustainable Agriculture: John’s most recent book, Planting A Future, presents a view of what’s happening within Oregon’s rapidly growing movement toward sustainable farming practices. In an effort to provide a glimpse into the many different aspects of such a surging movement, John uses profiles of 18 different farmers and farm supporters to represent the different elements of Oregon’s farm community. Ranging from pioneering homesteaders to folks just getting started, the profiles shine a light on the challenges and hopes of the people working to reclaim our country’s food system.

John’s interest in agriculture began as a child in Rice County, Kansas, where he worked on his family’s farm during the 50s and 60s. The dryland farm produced wheat, various sorghums, alfalfa, and occasionally crops such as sudangrass or cowpeas for fodder and soil improvement. Livestock included cattle and hogs for commercial production, chickens for family eggs, and a few lambs for 4-H projects.

It was the loss of so many of America’s family farms and our country’s shift from local farm economies to giant agrochemical corporations that prompted John’s efforts to promote a movement that offers so much hope for a better future. And what better vantage point than Oregon, home to some of America’s most fertile farmland and most active progressive communities?

Find John on the Web:

• JohnClarkVincent.com
• John Clark Vincent on Facebook
• John Clark Vincent on Twitter