Howard Jeter, beloved elder of the Ecological Farming Association, has died after eighty nine years of living fully and inspiring many. Howard was a perennial Eco-Farm board member, offering his insight and assistance to EFA for the nearly all of our 27 year history. Howard's presence will be missed by all who have enjoyed the wisdom of his counsel and the pleasure of his company. He will surely be remembered for his longstanding, tireless contributions on behalf of the health and safety of the food system and the fair and equitable treatment of all those whose labors make such bounty a reality in our world.

Howard advocated for inclusion, carrying forward a tradition of a people's democracy that had been a very real element of reforming and improving the social conditions of the time in which he was born. He advocated persistently within our community for vigilance over the powers that be, for the people to educate themselves and organize themselves to hold their institutions accountable to the best ideals and highest standards that we have for ourselves as people and as a community. In these means he saw the possibility of the people effecting positive change for themselves within their own times by taking responsibility for their role as active, engaged and informed citizens.

"It is vitally important", Howard would often assert to underscore the passion that he shared freely with all his fellows about making our best world possible now.

His efforts as a vital contributor to EFA earned him the "Golden Pliers" award in 1999 for outstanding volunteer of the year, or in Howard's case, many, many years.

 

 

Howard left a living legacy in his efforts to create and sustain a scholarship program at the Eco-Farm conference for farmers, farm workers and youth. Over the years he brought many youth from the his community in Oakland to the Eco-Farm Conference, expanding their horizons and sharing his passion for farming and his devotion to a just world with young people, whose talents he emphasized and who, he faithfully pointed out, would soon take all of our places.

We are ever thankful to Howard for his love, his example, his inspired and passionate words, and his relentless dedication to the empowerment of the highest ideals for humankind. Even under the counsel of Howard's own words it is certainly challenging to see how any one person will ever take Howard's place. Perhaps that is why Howard so clearly treated everyone he met with such welcoming encouragement, urging us all to our very best.

We commend the vast achievements of Howard's life and the generosity with which he shared himself in our community. Howard will be missed, though we trust that he is safe and well and happily busy using his influence toward justice for all where ever he is now.