He continues to manage his family’s 1,800-acre certified organic farm in south central North Dakota, where he developed a diverse crop rotation that has enabled him to farm productively without synthetic inputs (fertilizers or pesticides) while simultaneously improving the health of the soil.

Kirschenmann, who holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Chicago, is a professor in the Iowa State University Department of Religion and Philosophy.

In April 2010, the University Press of Kentucky published a book of his essays, Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher, that trace the evolution of his ecological and farming philosophy over the past 30 years.