09/01/2026
Wendell‘s life, work, & legacy have been a beacon of inspiration to us at the Dairy since the very beginning. He is the namesake of our beloved raw milk tomme, Wendell.
Known to the world as a novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, & cultural critic, Wendell was foremost a husband, father & farmer. He was a fierce advocate for a handmade place-based life, for family, for slowing down, for preserving integrity, values & interconnectedness.
We honor and remember Wendell and his family today. His legacy lives on through the work of The Berry Center and all of us that he continues to inspire and move so deeply. He truly was so generous.
A master of words, we leave it to him:
All that I serve will die, all my delights,
the flesh kindled from my flesh, garden and field,
the silent lilies standing in the woods,
the woods, the hill, the whole earth, all
will burn in man’s evil, or dwindle
in its own age. Let the world bring on me
the sleep of darkness without stars, so I may know
my little light taken from me into the seed
of the beginning and the end, so I may bow
to mystery, and take my stand on the earth
like a tree in a field, passing without haste
or regret toward what will be, my life
a patient willing descent into the grass.
The Wish to be Generous
by Wendell Erdman Berry (August 5, 1934 – August 31, 2026)
