Ricardo Salvador

Born and raised in southern Mexico, to a Native Zapotec father and a Flemish-American mother, both in the first generation in their families to leave the farm, Ricardo Salvador pursued agricultural studies in the USA at New Mexico State and Iowa State universities. However, he could never see agriculture as the disembodied productivist curricula at those institutions indoctrinated him to see it. Reading “Meeting the Expectations of The Land” while in graduate school in the early 1980s was simultaneously revelation, liberation, and inspiration. He took the first opportunity available to acquaint himself with the work of The Land Institute through participation in a sequence of Prairie Festival talks, and in this way developed relationships with the leadership and various scientists there. Since then, he has done everything possible to support the mission of this unique and remarkable organization. It was the honor of his lifetime to be asked by his hero, Angus Wright, then the Board Chair, to join The Land Institute board, a role he undertook with enthusiasm for the great responsibility and privilege from 2018 until his retirement in 2024. He continues as a distinguished emeritus board member.

My most perennial trait is patience—Knowing that the right time is not always now, but that being prepared for when the time is right is always the right thing, is a form of active perseverance and commitment.

Learn more about Ricardo Salvador’s work.

2018-2024 Board member at The Land Institute