|
|
|
July
2004
features
books and links about
Farming
|
The farming life in rural America is
disappearing. In 1950, 75% of the population lived in a rural
area but now only 21% of the population still lives in a rural
area. Today, only 1.4% of the population is employed in farming,
compared to 12.5% in 1950. This month's theme takes a look back
at farming and the rural life treasured as a part of American
history. Below are few of the books on display in July.
338.1 Ber
The
unsettling of America: culture and agriculture
by Wendell Barry
In this 1999 update of the original 1977 publication, Berry argues
that good farming is a cultural development and spiritual
discipline. Today's agribusiness, however, takes farming out of
its cultural context and away from families, and as a nation we are
thus more estranged from the land. Sadly, as the author notes in
the afterword to this new edition, his arguments and observations are
still relevant today.
338.1 Sal
The
American farmer and the New Deal
by Theodore Saloutos
The author brings out the high points of government policy as related
to agriculture by concentrating on developing a broad picture of the
American farmer during the New Deal years. He works for an
overall view of agriculture and deals with the human aspect of New
Deal programs.
629.2252 Hal
The
classic American farm tractor: from the beginnings to 1960
by Adam Halsey
Halsey introduces us to the tractors in which the slow evolution and
perfection of the modern tractor is embodied. Accompanied by
beautiful and original photographs of these classic machines, the text
tells us not only what was distinctive about these classic tractors,
but, in many cases, what they were like to ride including their strong
points and, most amusingly, their weaknesses and defects.
630.1 Nat
Life in rural America
published by the National Geographic Society
Five writers and more than a score of photographers cross the United
States visiting farms, ranches, and small towns. In these
surrounding old customs and traditional values linger alongside
changes wrought by mechanization, new highways, and modern
communication. Published in 1974, more than 150 color
photographs, including three special picture essays, complement the
text.
630.68 Mac
Making
your small farm profitable
by Ron Macher
Choose the right products, process and market then effectively, and
you can join the ranks of top-earning farmers. Whether you're
buying a new farm or jump-starting an old one, with the authors advice
on planning, farming, and marketing, you'll soon make your farm
profitable and find satisfaction doing it.
630.973 Han
The land was everything: letters from an American farmer
by Victor Davis Hanson
The independent farmer, in his lonely, do-or-die struggle, is tangible
proof that there is still a place for heroism in America. In the
farmer's unflinching realities, rain and sun, hail and early frost,
lie the best of humanity tested: stoicism, intelligence, and the
determination that comes from fighting battles, tractor against vine,
that must be replicated a thousand or hundred thousand times if a
farmer is to even have a chance of success. There is, writes
Hanson, an "awful knowledge gained from agriculture" and a
"measure of brutality that even the most human farmer cannot
escape from or hide." It is this terrible knowledge, these
hard-fought battles against man, self, and nature's unseen enemies,
that Hanson, an embattled fifth generation grape farmer, celebrates.
630.973 Sch
Successful
small-scale farming: an organic approach
by Karl Schwenke
Introduces anyone owning (or planning to own) a small farm to both the
harsh realities and the real potential involved in making a full- or
part-time living on the land. Covers a wide range of proven
techniques and practical advice for organic farming.
630.9753 Gar
The
garden and farm books of Thomas Jefferson
edited by Robert C. Baron
For almost sixty years, Jefferson kept a journal of his garden and his
farms, recording his horticultural successes and failures, the
progression of seasons and his thoughts on agriculture. This
volume contains Jefferson's farm and garden writings along with
letters to contemporaries such as George Washington, John Adams
and James Madison, as well as his friends and family.
631.1 Ope
The operation, care, and repair of farm machinery
This classic, comprehensive textbook, originally published in 1937,
was intended to assist farm mechanics instructors in their courses,
and was the first book on the subject of farm machines. Divided
into six distinctive sections ranging from the preparation of seed
bedding to harvesting. This book offers detailed information and
instructions on how to use and care for dozens of machines.
728.922 Nob
The
old barn book: a field guide to North American barns and other farm
structures
by Allen Noble
From hay barns to corn cribs, from fences to chicken coops, from silos
to outhouses, this book's clear drawings, photos, maps, and
descriptions make it easy to figure what's what around a farm.
Special lists tell you what kinds of farm buildings to look for in
each part of the United States and Canada.
779.963 Ger
Amber
waves of grain: America's farmland from above
by Goerg Gerster
A spectacular vision of farmlands viewed from the perspective of an
eagle soaring above the land and captured through the lens of the
world's foremost aerial photographer. Gerster's enduring tribute
to the farmers of America is well complemented by Joyce Diamanti's
informative essays and comments on the photographs.
|