Thriving Together, the Economics of Community

(AKA, The Georgics Project)

The Thomas Jefferson Georgics Project summary:

The Thomas Jefferson Georgics Project is an effort to uncover how one of America’s Founding Fathers looked to the ancient past to shape the new nation’s future. The project focuses on Jefferson’s lifelong fascination with Virgil’s Georgics- a famous Roman poem about farming, the land, and the relationship between people and nature.

For Jefferson, farming wasn’t just a way to make a living- it was a moral and civic duty. He believed that independent farmers formed the backbone of a healthy, free republic. And to guide his thinking, he turned to the wisdom of classical writers like Virgil. Jefferson read and studied the Georgics, quoting it in his letters, noting it in his farm records, and using it to reflect on how Americans should live with the land.

This project brings together Jefferson’s writings, his references to the Georgics, and historical insights to show how classical ideas about agriculture and virtue influenced American history. It highlights how ancient texts shaped early ideas about sustainability, citizenship, and land stewardship in the United States.

By connecting the world of ancient Rome to the founding of America, the Thomas Jefferson Georgics Project invites the public to rethink how the past informs our present relationship with the land- and what lessons it might still hold today.

The 14 Georgics Principles:

Providence, work and joy, self-validation, self-reliance, mission, seeing the whole picture, real estate ownership, forgiveness and perseverance, community stewardship, community interdependence, local interdependence, gratitude and hope, entrepreneurialism, and faith.

A typical day for this scholar class includes:

  • Devotional (pledge, thought, etc..)
  • Connection Journals
  • Georgic shares
  • Lesson & activity, book discussion, document study, or field trip
  • Debrief
  • Extend homework assignment (see below)

Dates to note:

  • 10/3: Movie night at the Quigley’s (The Lunatic Farmer)
  • 11/19: Harvest Dinner: each scholar will bring a dish they made to share, having researched an ingredient all of the way back to its origination, and present it to the class
  • 11/5: Project ideas need to be at commonwealth and ready to be presented to the class
  • 2/25: finished projects presented to the class
  • Spring (exact details TBA): booth at farmers market to sell their projects

Books we will be discussing:

  1. The Year Money Grew on Trees (1st semester)
  2. Hatchet (1st semester)
  3. Where the Red Fern Grows (2nd semester)
  4. Farmer Boy (2nd semester)
  5. Little Men (2nd semester)

Homework:

  • 30 short journal entries
  • Work on project to sell at the farmers market in the spring
  • Read the five books mentioned above
  • Memorize the 14 Georgic principles
  • Finish document studies or interview writing that wasn’t finished in class
  • Write two mini papers on two of the 14 Georgic principles

We are excited to be learning right alongside our Georgic scholars. As we explore the texts, tools, and questions at the heart of this project, we’re continually inspired. This collaborative journey is not just about guiding others through the study of Thomas Jefferson’s Georgic vision – it’s about growing with them, asking new questions, and uncovering connections together.