Agriculture Library
Agricultural resources and activities are a staple of many rural communities. Our "Ag Library" contains resources developed by the Center for Rural Affairs. These resources cover programs and practices that will yield a sustainable agricultural future for these communities.
| The Conservation Security Program: An Assessment of Farmers' Experience with Program | Farmers share their viewpoints about the Conservation Security Program and problems they identified with program implementation during 2004-2006 sign-ups. Recommendations are included to guide USDA in improving CSP implementation. |
| Breaking New Ground: Carbon Management at the Farm Scale |
A report on research into what it takes to get farmers and ranchers to adopt practices that enhance soil carbon. Four factors are most influential: economics, environment, social pressure, and control needs.
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| USDA Farm Service Agency Beginning Farmer Loan Programs | A summary of the types of loans available to beginning farmers, their requirements, and how to apply. The Farm Service Agency is one of the first places a beginning farmer should look when needing credit. |
| Climate Change and Agriculture: Report of a Center for Rural Affairs Task Force | Report from a Center for Rural Affairs Task Force commissioned to review information on climate change and its relationship to agriculture and make recommendations about what people and government should do. Most task force members were farmers and ranchers. |
| Public Promises Made – Public Promises Broken: The National Research Initiative, How Well Is It Serving Small Farmers? | The 1998 National Commission on Small Farms stressed the need to address long ignored research priorities of small farms. Following, the Center for Rural Affairs began a project to assess how well USDA was meeting its public pledge for NRI small farm research.
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| The Splice of Life: Implications of Genetic Engingeering for Family Farmers, Consumers, and the Environment | This early report on genetic engineering examines the implications of biotechnology and outlines 11 recommendations for its use. |
| Wind Turbine Considerations: Energy Conservation, Profitability and Ownership | Folks in the Midwest know about wind and how much it blows. Because energy costs are rising, many look to wind to relieve or reduce their energy bills. Energy can be harvested from the wind, but a cheaper, quicker, and more effective way to cut costs may be to first cut energy use. This is especially true for those who want to go “off grid” and supply all their own electricity. |
| Small Farm Energy Primer | Originally published by the Center for Rural Affairs in 1980, this is a tool to assist small farmers in lowering their energy costs. Solar collectors, wind generators, ethanol stills, organic farming, and energy conservation -- saving money on energy is again a hot topic among farmers. |
