Ogden’s Bryan Welch Publishes First Book
Most magazine industry executives know Bryan Welch as the CEO of Odgen Publications. But Welch is also a dedicated farmer with a strong connection to the land and a talented writer, so he was uniquely qualified to write his first nonfiction book, Beautiful and Abundant (buy book here), which was just published. In the book, Welch argues that humanity is at a turning point and only one species on the planet can recognize its own impact on the habitat. This book cuts through the pessimism and denial that pervade today’s discussions of sustainability. As a practical guide, it offers a process for making our current lifestyles more sustainable. He took some time from his busy schedule overseeing Ogden and tending to his Kansas farm (which features cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, donkeys and two dogs) to answer some questions.
You lead a full life. Energetic magazine media executive. Farmer. Husband and father. And now, you’ve written a book. Frankly, we’re impressed. What’s your secret? How do you have the time to manage all those elements in your life?
That’s a difficult question to answer since I don’t feel particularly overcommitted. I have excellent professional colleagues to share the business burden and my wife and I share the farm duties. I’m an early riser, by nature, and it turns out there’s nothing much to do at 4 a.m. that’s more interesting than writing a book. Farming, business and writing are such different vocations that each feels like a respite from the other. But most importantly, I suppose, I’m fortunate to have work that reflects my personal enthusiasms, so I generally feel keen to get to work.
Why did you feel it was necessary to write this book? You’ve got a great platform in media properties like Mother Earth News and Natural Home to express yourself.
Great question. It seems to me each medium serves very different purposes and engages people in different ways. The websites mostly attract “serial” audiences looking for specific information. The magazines engage their communities based on a generalized passion. Books, on the other hand, are the best medium for exploring an idea in depth and fostering new discussions. That was my goal for “Beautiful and Abundant,” I wanted to get a new conversation going.
Your book starts with an incredibly optimistic sentence: “We are unique and brilliant creatures.” So long story short: is that really how you feel about humanity?
Long story short, yes! I admire goats, donkeys, cattle and coyotes also. I like chickens but I don’t admire them. Human beings, however, are very special and utterly unique, so far as we know. Only one creature in the universe can conceptualize its own impact and visualize its own future. That’s us. The gift provides with special privileges and specific responsibilities that we are only beginning to recognize. Anyway, how could we not admire a species that invented the first flying machine, then just three generations later flew to the moon?
You write that we have no examples of economic growth occurring without a corresponding increase in population growth. In fact, you term population growth a Ponzi scheme and we’re setting up future generations as its victims. That’s very bleak. Can you offer your readers any hope regarding the global population increases and its devastating impact on the health of the planet?
I feel very optimistic, but I think we face a huge challenge and we waste too much time reciting economic dogma invented at the dawn of the industrial revolution. We must face the fundamental and irrefutable fact that someday – maybe soon – we will need to stabilize our population for the sake of our habitat. Imagine a world in which there are fewer customers every year. The old laws of supply and demand aren’t particularly useful in a world with a stable or declining human population. We will need brand new economic tools. We’ll need new ways of defining value and creating prosperity. It’s time to get to work on inventing the new economics.
Let’s get personal. How do you practice what you preach? We grow most of our own food; heat with wood and a non-toxic petroleum byproduct (propane); use solar hot water; try to avoid unnecessary driving; use an electric vehicle on the farm; set thermostats to turn off the furnace and the air conditioner when we don’t need them; insulate our buildings aggressively; recycle; reuse; wear out our vehicles, tools, clothes and technology before we replace them with efficient, durable new stuff; use skylights and window light; and most importantly we try to stay enthusiastic in our efforts to help solve the sustainability puzzle so that we can, hopefully, inspire others to join in.
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