Happy Bloggiversary!

InfoFarm turns one today!

Who's ready to break into song?

When I officially launched this venture 366 days ago, I wanted to keep you informed, to point you to the latest ag news and to highlight great stuff coming out of this library that you might not find on your own. More than that, however, I set out to have a conversation with you, my readers.

How have I done?

On the first part, pretty well, at least from my own perspective (though I'd love to hear yours). Agriculture is a broad, encompassing umbrella, and I've tried to cover all quadrants -- from farm safety to food safety, from livestock to legislation -- with enough art, poetry, baseball and humor thrown in to keep things interesting.

On the conversation side of things, however, things have faltered.

A posting early on about Amish farmers and water quality prompted seven comments, not counting my own responses and a random "nice site" that popped up there five weeks later. Other than that, though, I don't hear from you much. I probably average seven comments a month now, not seven comments per post, so we certainly have room to grow.

I've read about what to do to spark exchanges. I've linked out to other blogs. I've asked questions. I've poked at sensitive topics (albeit in a limited, I-am-still-a-government-employee sort of way). And I've tried to show a little personality. Sometimes it works; most times it doesn't.

But I'm not through trying yet.

I've been looking at what other government blogs have been doing, seeing what works and charting some changes. Over the coming weeks and months, I'll be pulling those things out. Hopefully, one or more of them will turn some of you lurkers into commenters and maybe even start a dialogue among the readers.

So get ready. You've been warned. We're heading into the terrible twos, and things will be busting out all over.

In the meantime, lift a glass to InfoFarm and the end of its first year. Here's to many more!

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Blogging on October 01, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

De-lurking to say, "keep it up!" I look forward to each post.

Submitted by: Anonymous on October 1, 2008 06:38 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 3, 2008 04:40 PM

Submitted by: Janet Kenyan on October 8, 2008 04:07 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 8, 2008 05:33 PM

Submitted by: Cynthia Bowen, NAL reference librarian on October 17, 2008 11:29 AM

Submitted by: Janet Kenyan on October 17, 2008 01:17 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 17, 2008 04:14 PM

Submitted by: geof fbaker on October 24, 2008 10:04 PM

Submitted by: Dr. Knox Grandison on January 13, 2009 05:09 PM

Submitted by: Angellaa on February 24, 2009 12:31 AM

A Torrent of Blogs

Like any creature of habit, I have those blogs I dip into regularly to see what's flowing along the various topical tributaries that feed into agriculture.

Doing that, along with monitoring the news, writing posts and doing my regular job fills the work day quite nicely, so you can imagine that I reacted to my recent discovery with mixed emotions.

Last month, Alex Tiller posted a list of 53 blogs on agriculture and farming (including InfoFarm -- thanks, Alex!) and then really piled it on by then pointing to Farm Blogs from Around the World, a blog that seeks to collect -- you guessed it -- "the best farm blogs from around the world."

Fortunately, not all the blogs Alex cites are new to me, but a quick glance at the other list reveals a lot of unexplored waters. Of course, as an "information professional," I have to check them out, which brings me back to the mixed emotions.

I am now drowning in ag blogs.

But at least the water's warm.

Any chance you can throw me a lifeline? Offer your comments on any blog from either of these lists or share your favorite ag blog below.

Or, if you're really the swimming type, just jump on in with me and explore. We'll let the water carry us along.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Blogging on August 15, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

Hi there, I run Farm Blogs from Around the World (www.farmblogs.blogspot.com)which you cite above, and thank you so doing. I'm an author, living in rural France where I have my own blog (naturally) called www.aplaceintheauvergne.blogsot.com Farm Blogs from Around the World started off as a private scrapbook just to place material that I found personally interesting about agriculture, which included some blogs that had caught my eye. Then I wrote to those bloggers asking them for their recommendations, and so it grew, organically from there. For the moment therefore, I don't take any editorial decisions myself about what I regard as the best of global farm blogging; rather I rely on the judgements of other bloggers on the assumption that if I start with good ones, good ones will recommend good ones and so on. A lot of the blog rolls you find on individual farm bloggers are not in fact necessarily the ones that the bloggers find the best (as I have found out) but often neigbours, family and friends. So I think what Alex and I are doing is valuable, although we approach it differently. Alex has a particular position and views on agriculture, and the politics of agriculture. His blog list reflects this. I have views too, although I remain editorially neutral. You'll find everyone from left to right of the political spectrum, from devout Christians to declared agnostics etc. The key therefore to Farm Blogs From Around the World is the recommendations of good bloggers. Naturally these can be a little self-selecting. A blogger interested in Hereford cattle is likely to recommend other Hereford cattle farm bloggers. But I hope that, overall, the mix balances out. I am now in the process of trying to give a clearer idea as to what each blog listed on Farm Blogs is about (in terms of type of farming) and will eventually further sub-divide blogs by category as well as by the existing country sort method. In time, I may then revisit and winnow down the list to what I think is the best. But that's a remote possibility. I'm more interested in diversity of blogs and opinions, and providing a simple fun resource for farm bloggers and those interested in agriculture. I do invite anyone who is not listed on Farm Blogs from Around the World to contact me at info AT ianwalthew.com and I'll check out their blog and/or recommendations. Thanks for mentioning my blog. I will certainly be listing yours in my general resources section. Kind regards, Ian www.farmblogs.blogspot.com www.aplaceintheauvernge.blogspot.com

Submitted by: Ian Walthew on August 26, 2008 04:07 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on August 28, 2008 10:30 AM

What Could be Butter Than This?

Obviously, this blog covers agriculture, but within that broad topic, it jumps all over the map.

And ag, as you know, encompasses a lot things, from food to fuel, fiber and forestry, which is how I can cover three very disparate subjects like the Olympics, Norman Borlaug and state fairs and still stay under the ag umbrella.

Well, leave it to the Iowans to join me under that big top.

Through this weekend, you can see butter sculptures of Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson [pic], and ag scientist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug at the Iowa State Fair.

Joining Johnson and Borlaug in butter are three other Iowans who made significant impacts on agriculture: Etta May Budd, George Washington Carver and Henry A. Wallace. Interestingly, all but Johnson have influential ties to each other, and Carver, Wallace and Borlaug also have close ties to USDA.

We're all butter off because of them.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Agritourism and Biography and Blogging on August 15, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

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This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Earth, Baseball and the Federal Blogger

What is it about government bloggers and baseball? I can't explain the connection, but the correlation appears to be growing. Peruse the evidence for yourself:

The folks over at the Smithsonian American Art Museum started off the trend almost two years ago with not one, but two, different entries on baseball in art.

I followed by blogging about baseball field designs back in InfoFarm's early days, and then, the very next day, the Department of State's blog, Dipnote, trotted out its own baseball reference.

Last month, the Library of Congress blog stepped on the field with an entry on their impressive collection of baseball-related photos and artifacts.

Then, a few weeks later, Colleen, one of the GovGab bloggers, covered our national pastime with an entry aligned with the Opening Day.

Finally, today, the Environmental Protection Agency launched its new blog, Greenversations, with a posting that brings together baseball and Earth Day.

Must be something in the water at federal buildings. Or maybe baseball still is the national pastime, despite some suggestions to the contrary.

Whatever the case, I'm psyched to be joined by so many baseball fans in the federal blogosphere.

I'm psyched, too, since it is Earth Day, to read that the EPA has worked with the New York Mets to identify the latest green technologies and practices that will be incorporated into the Mets' new stadium.

The Mets aren't the only team considering our environment though. From what I've read, brand new Nationals Park, home of our very own Washington Nationals, was built with green design principles. According to the team's site:

Nationals Park will strive to become the first major stadium in the United States accredited as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ certified ballpark. The new ballpark will pay particular attention to issues affecting the health of the Anacostia River, such as stormwater management and minimization of water pollution.

Newsweek covered the greening of the new ballpark last week. And earlier USA Today provided a neat graphic detailing the various environmental design measures that have gone into Nationals Park, from the lighting to the green roof, from the building materials to the cleaning products, to the water filtration system alluded to above.

But the earth-friendly improvements don't stop there. Larry DiVito, Head Groundskeeper for the Nationals, did his homework when it came to field maintenance equipment. He acquired an outfield mower that runs on biodiesel and a utility vehicle powered solely by electricity.

So worry not, Nats fans, the home turf -- Kentucky bluegrass for those who care -- will be well cared for.

But if you'd like some tips on keeping your own fields "green," check out the environmentally friendly techniques the Nationals' DiVito provided for Earth Day 2007, along with a great collection of turf-related sites from my NAL colleagues. Do your part to help make every day Earth Day.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Blogging and Natural Resources & Environment on April 22, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

Dear Mary Ann: This is my favorite infofarm topic. Please do more like these, Best, Peter

Submitted by: Peter on June 25, 2008 02:20 PM

You're Only as Young as You Feel

You've seen those lists every fall describing the experiences of that year's class of college freshmen, haven't you?

The most recent, for the class of 2011, hightlight that "they've never 'rolled down' a car window," and "never saw Johnny Carson live on television." Hard to believe, but there it is.

The annual update is meant to help bridge the generation gap, to set the historical and cultural context of the campus newbies for those about to meet them.

Sure, okay ... but what it seems to do even more successfully is to make the rest of us feel old. (Never saw Pete Rose play baseball? Jeesh!)

But if you really want to get a sense of time's furious pace, check out Steve Abram's quick recap of the Internet era:

• Web sites (as we've come to think of them) have been around only about 14 years.
• Blogs, as a form, debuted almost 10 years ago.
• Google has helped us search for the last nine years.
• Wikipedia joined the world in 2001.
• MySpace began in 2003, Facebook in 2004. [Sidebar: Abrams places MySpace back to 1999, citing Wikipedia, but more authoritative sources support the later date.]
• And YouTube joined us just three years ago, in February 2005.

Quite the reality check, isn't it?

Compare all that to the history of libraries, these august institutions that have been around since time immemorial, performing nearly the same functions through the centuries -- collecting materials and serving as a repository of knowledge.

Is it any wonder that our heads are spinning trying to integrate the young and fast-moving Web?

And yet, when looked at against the warp speed infiltration of all things Internet, libraries have adjusted rather quickly.

But what's in our future? Who knows, but take the jump to gain some street wisdom on the matter.

Then come back and offer some insights of your own. If you're a librarian, what are you doing to stay technologically young and nimble? If you're not, what do you want to see libraries do to meet your Web-adjusted expectations?

Think young. Be young. We're gonna need it.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Blogging and Libraries on January 25, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Do you know where one would find the final rule, published in the Federal Register, addressing the implementation of the Food Security Act of 1985?

Submitted by: William Arens on February 25, 2008 04:45 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on February 25, 2008 05:16 PM

Pull Up a Chair

Today is October 1st, an auspicious day if there ever was one.

In 1890 Congress officially created Yosemite National Park, preserving some of California's greatest natural wonders.

In 1924 Jimmy Carter was born, taking his first breath of Georgia air on his way to becoming the 39th President of the United States.

In 1940 the Pennyslvania Turnpike opened for business as America's first toll superhighway, cutting three hours off the trip from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg and setting new standards for highway design.

In 2007, like every year before, the federal government started a new accounting period, this time launching FY08. (That's Fiscal Year 2008 for the uninitiated.)

And today, this blog hits the Web, joining the estimated 120,000 other blogs born each day, but becoming only the 16th active blog within the federal government.

I guess that makes us commonplace and extraordinary all at the same time.

But why blog in the first place?

We want to give this great national library a human, personal voice; to give you a fresh glimpse into what we do; and to give us a chance to hear from you.

We want to have a conversation, one that's more like a chat on the front porch and less like a meeting in the boardroom. From the library side, we'll share a bit about what we do, how our day went (professionally speaking, of course), some nifty thing we learned, or a compelling story in the news. In return, we hope to hear from you. Share your experiences with us as an institution, with your efforts to find information, or with your life and work in the world of agriculture, food, nutrition, animal care, the environment, whatever. The result, we believe, will be a mutually beneficial dialogue, a compelling exchange of ideas and maybe even an entertaining break in your day.

I trust you'll be willing to join us on the porch. Today or some day in the future, take a few minutes to respond to a post or simply offer a suggestion about what we can do to make the National Agricultural Library -- or this blog -- more relevant to you.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Blogging on October 01, 2007 EST | Permalink

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Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.

Great job Mary Ann. Keep on rocking!!!! pjb

Submitted by: P.Blake@nal.usda.gov on October 2, 2007 08:33 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 2, 2007 08:52 AM

Submitted by: Peter Young on October 2, 2007 09:40 AM

Submitted by: Sherry Paige on October 29, 2007 09:01 AM