David Haenke was born in Michigan in 1945, where he lived until 1971. At that time he moved to the Ozarks region of south-central Missouri, where he established Edge City Farm, a homesteading community where residents lived “basically and ecologically.” By 1973 the community had grown to more than 100 residents.

Dedicating himself to bioregionalism and ecocentrism, his activities included writing numerous articles as well as giving presentations and talks throughout the United States, promoting the use of renewable resources, “appropriate technology,” cooperative economics, and organic agriculture. He coined the term "Applied Ecocentrism" to describe the philosphy underlying these things.

Haenke became a major organizer for the Green Movement, which culminated in the establishment of the Greens/Green Party U.S.A. His accomplishments included the founding of the Ozark Area Community Congress in 1977 to “politically organize our ecological beliefs and concerns” for the Ozarks Bioregion. He likewise founded or facilitated a number of congresses, including the North American Bioregional Congress, the Great Lakes Bioregional Congress, and the Southern Bioregional Congress. He also created networks that included both national and international organizations and people.