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An Agricultural Testament - Albert Howard The late Louis Bromfield called it "the best book I know on soil and the processes which take part in it." Soil Science called it "the most interesting and suggestive book on soil fertility which has appeared since King's Farmers of Forty Centuries." And Mother Earth News recently called it "the most basic of all introductions to organic farming by the founder of the modern movement." The object of the book was to draw attention to the loss of soil fertility, brought about by the vast increase in crop and animal production, that has led to such disastrous consequences as a general unbalancing of farming practices, an increase in plant and animal diseases and the loss of soil by erosion. Howard contended that such losses can be repaired only by maintaining soil fertility by manufacturing humus from vegetable and animal wastes through the composting process. He stressed, too, a little-known nutritional factor, the mycorrhizal association, which is the living fungous bridge between humus in the soil and the sap of plants.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FOR SMALL-SCALE FARMERS: A FARMING SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE Asian farms, but possibly of use.

Amaranth: Modern Prospects for an Ancient Crop (BOSTID, 1984, 74 p.) Amaranth, a little-known crop of the Americas, is grown either as a grain crop or as a leafy vegetable. Despite its obscurity, it offers important promise for feeding the world's hungry. In the National Academy of Sciences' 1975 study Underexploited Tropical Plants with Promising Economic Value, amaranth was selected from among 36 of the world's most promising crops. Since then, extensive research has been done on the plant, and this book provides a more detailed examination of its characteristics and prospects.

Triticale: Promising Addition to the World's Cereal Grains (BOSTID, 1989, 95 p.) Triticale is a hybrid resulting from crossing a wheat "mother" with a rye "father." It combines many of the best qualities of both its prodigious parents. It can have most of wheat's qualities for making various types of noodles, pastries, and some breads; and it can have most of rye's disease resistance, drought tolerance, hardiness, and adaptability to "difficult" soils.

Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems (BOSTID, 1992, 127 p.) Neem is a fascinating tree. On the one hand, it seems to be one of the most promising of all plants and may eventually benefit every person on the planet. Probably no other yields as many strange and varied products or has as many exploitable by-products. Indeed, as foreseen by some scientists, this plant may usher in a new era in pest control, provide millions with inexpensive medicines, cut down the rate of human population growth, and perhaps even reduce erosion, deforestation, and the excessive temperature of an overheated globe.

Jojoba: New Crop for Arid Lands, New raw Material for Industry (BOSTID, 1985, 100 p.) The aim of this present report is to review the current status of the plant, which is now fast progressing from its wild state to commercial production of impressive magnitude. In particular, the intention is to highlight the uncertainties inherent in growing and selling a new farm product. This is not to dampen enthusiasm for a crop that has truly exciting promise, but to point out unresolved questions, so that farmers and investors can appreciate the economic risks and researchers can determine where their knowledge and talents can best be applied.

The Winged Bean: High-Protein Crop for the Humid Tropics (BOSTID, 1981, 41 p.) Few crops have risen so quickly from total obscurity to the winged bean's current level of prominence. The interest in this formerly little-known plant has generated so much information in the last 5 years that a computerized Winged Bean Information and Documentation Service Center is operated by the Agricultural Information Bank for Asia in the Philippines. The assumptions in the earlier report are so far largely standing up to scrutiny. The plant holds such promise that its former obscurity is baffling. As a result of all the new information, prospects seem favorable for the greatly expanded commercialization of the winged bean.

Better Farming Series 07 - Crop Farming (FAO - INADES, 1976, 29 p.)

Better Farming Series 15 - Cereals (FAO - INADES, 1977, 51 p.) In this booklet we shall deal chiefly with sorghum, millet and maize. We shall not speak about rice because there are two booklets on rice, one on upland rice and one on wet paddy or swamp rice. We shall deal briefly with fonio, finger millet and wheat.

Better Farming Series 16 - Roots and Tubers (FAO - INADES, 1977, 58 p.) In this booklet we shall deal only with the main root and tuberous plants which are grown as food crops in Africa, that is, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, tania and taro (cocoyam). The potato, which is also a tuber, will be dealt with in another booklet.

Better Farming Series 17 - Groundnuts (peanuts) (FAO - INADES, 1977, 40 p.) See also: Small Scale Oil Extraction and Small Scale Vegetable Oil Extraction

Better Farming Series 20 - Upland Rice (FAO - INADES, 1977, 30 p.) &

Paddy Rice

Small Farm Center - University of California

The New England Small Farm Institute

Ag101 - Introduction to Small-Scale Farming - University of Maryland

Growing Citrus in Containers - Tips and techniques.

Growing Citrus - Citrus trees are evergreen shrubs; retaining the majority of their leaves year-round and should be hedged accordingly.

Growing Grapes and Berries - You'll be amazed at how easy it is to grow your favorite berries and grapes with our handy guides.

Master Gardeners - Blackberries and Raspberries

Northern Nut Growers Association - The Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc. (NNGA) brings together people interested in growing nut trees.

Home Gardeners - Nut bearing trees.

Growing Apple Trees in the Home Garden - Growing apple trees in the home garden can be fun and rewarding.

Growing Apple Trees - Hints for the apple orchard.

Peaches and Nectarines - Growing peaches and nectarines in the home garden.

Growing Plums - Grow plums in the home garden.

Plum Trees - Growing plum trees for the home ground.

Growing Cherries - There are two basic types of cherry, the sweet and the acid.

Wheat Page - Resources on the agronomy of wheat, from Kansas State University.

All About Rice - Information about the crop, the varieties, together with some recipes.

International Rice Research Institute - A research and training center established to improve the well-being of rice farmers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes. It is dedicated to helping farmers in developing countries produce more food on limited land using fewer inputs, without harming the environment.

Rice Web - Provides information about the history, production, and distribution of rice, as well as discussions of environmental and geographic factors, and current research issues.

Sustainable Rice Production - Studies and promotes sustainable growing methods in Australia.

Online Cover Crop Video -- Watch innovator Steve Groff kill his cover crop with a stalk chopper and no-till transplant tomotoes (.avi or .mov files). See also: No-Till Transplanting Into Cover Crops Pa. vegetable grower Steve Groff shares tips about his 'New Generation' cropping systems.

Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control -- This excellent online resource from ATTRA tells how to turn your farm into a home for beneficial insects to help check pest problems.

Biodynamic Farming & Compost Preparation Alternative Farming Systems Guide. Biodynamic agriculture was the first ecological farming system to arise in response to commercial fertilizers and specialized agriculture after the turn of the century, yet it remains largely unknown to the modern farmer and land-grant university system. The contribution of biodynamics to organic agriculture is significant, however, and warrants more attention. The following provides an overview of biodynamic farming and includes additional details and resources on the specialized practice of biodynamic composting.

Organic And Conservation Farming - Bridging The Gap - To The Future P.S. Cornish. NSW Agriculture, Horticultural Research and Advisory Station. Gosford. NSW 2250. Interesting article.

Roadside Produce Stands Many farmers today are looking for new income opportunities. Those who rely on one or two enterprises are much more vulnerable to changes in the weather, economy, and political environment. One potential income opportunity is a roadside produce stand. Roadside produce stands can offer consumers freshness, quality, competitive prices, and the nostalgia of visiting a working farm. As with any new enterprise, the best insurance against failure is thorough planning and preparation. Here are some important considerations.

Crop Specifics A whole slew of crops are discussed, most with both HTML (Online pages) and PDF (downloadable files)

Specialty Crops-Herbs A whole slew of crops are discussed, most with both HTML (Online pages) and PDF (downloadable files)

Post harvest Handling & Cooling of Fresh Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers for Small Farms An online manual

Organic Vegetable Production Sweet corn only, for now.

The Corn Growers' Guidebook is a World Wide Web guide to more profitable corn management systems. The Guidebook has been available on-line since 1994. Check it out and get an EARFULL!!!

Home and Market Garden Sweet Corn Production. Fresh, high quality sweet corn is one of the most popular vegetables grown in home gardens and purchased by consumers at roadside stands and farmers' markets. At optimum market maturity, sweet corn will contain 5 to 6 percent sugar, 10 to 11 percent starch, 3 percent water-soluble polysaccharides, and 70 percent water. Sweet corn also will contain moderate levels of protein, vitamin A (yellow varieties), and potassium.

Specialty Corns. The inability of corn to survive in the wild on its own makes its ancestry a puzzle. Probably the oldest known remains of corn are cobs dating back 7000 years found in Tehucan, Mexico. Most corn historians feel that a wild grass called Teosinte is probably one of its primary ancestors. An eight-row race called Harinoso de Ocho was known to have been grown in the Southwest about 700 AD.

Pruning Grapes to the Four-Arm Kniffin System. Pruning is the systematic removal of wood in a manner that will result in a strong vine of convenient shape and good crops of large clusters. No operation influences grape production more than pruning. Excessive pruning produces vigorous vegetative growth and low yield, however clusters and berries will be large. Too little pruning produces weak growth and an excessive set of fruit resulting in small clusters, small berries, and poor quality. The grower must maintain his vines between an under-vegetative and over-vegetative condition so as to obtain the maximum in both yield and quality.

Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear. Fruit trees normally begin to bear fruit soon after they are old enough to flower. Nevertheless, the health of the tree, its environment, its fruiting habits, and the cultural practices you use influence its ability to produce fruit. Adequate pollination is essential to fruit yield.

Fruit Species and Varieties for Home Orchards. The following discussion covers some problems likely to be encountered with various species, areas of adaptation, and a number of recommended varieties. Others may perform equally as well, and the performance of a given variety may be better in protected areas around homes than in commercial plantings.

Vineyard Propagation from Cuttings. Growers often would like to increase the number of vines in their vineyards by using their own cuttings. In this way, they can select healthy vines for making cuttings, also saving them money.

Peanut Production Guide. Peanut production is concentrated in three major geographic areas of the United States: the Southeast, Virginia and the Carolinas, and the Southwest. There are four major market types of peanuts: Virginia, runner, Spanish, and Valencia. In the Southeast, Florunner, a runner type of peanut, is commonly planted. Almost all peanuts planted in Virginia and the Carolinas are Virginia peanut varieties. Plantings in the Southwest are divided between Spanish (55%), runner (42%), and Valencia (3%). New Mexico produces most of the Valencia peanuts.

The UC SAREP Cover Crop Database includes over 5,000 items gleaned from more than 600 separate sources, including journal articles, conference proceedings, standard textbooks, unpublished data, and personal communications from researchers and farmers. The information in the database concerns the management and effects of more than 32 species of plants usable as cover crops. More than 400 different cover crop images are also available for viewing online.

The Future is Abundant. (1982) is a resource guide for sustainable growing in the Pacific northwest. An excellent reference for people interested in permaculture designs and theories, edible landscaping, and sustainable agriculture. A good collection of bibliographies, seed and plant sources, addresses of like-minded people, and short summaries of alternative gardening and farming techniques. Unfortunately, it is missing a few parts. Fortunately, what is there, is free. Get it while it lasts!

USDA Hardiness Zones color map of the U.S., provided by one of our Preferred Providers/Suppliers. Links to specific Zones for close-up views follow the main map.

Edible Landscaping Database by Ben Sharvy [7/97] Plant Descriptions, Cultivation Tips, Lore, Trivia, Cultivars by Ben Sharvy This database is intended to bring corporate imperialism to its knees. It will accomplish its goal by increasing your interest in self-sufficiency, thus promoting localized economies which serve the interests of their communities over global economies which serve the interests of transnational corporations. This guy not only has a great sense of humor, but a pretty extensive database. Check it out!

CropINDEX A list of scientific and common names of crops for information access. Truly amazing & pretty quick.

Dry Farming. New York: MacMillan, 1911. By John A. Widtsoe. Between the paragraphs of this book one can see how farmer's lack of ethics and greed led them to ignore Widtsoe's warnings, making the Great Plains dustbowls inevitable. There are lots of clues for someone seeking to reduce their dependence on the water pump and grow their own food strictly on natural rainfall.

Production and Marketing of Herbs, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops - North Carolina State University

North Carolina Specialty Crops Program - North Carolina State University

Producing Shiitake Mushrooms: a Guide for Small-scale Outdoor Cultivation on Logs - North Carolina State University

Sources of Shiitake Spawn - North Carolina State University

Garland Truffles - Hillsborough, NC

Production of Medicinal Herbs - North Carolina State University

Medicinal Herbs Publications - North Carolina State University

North Carolina Specialty Crops Program - North Carolina State University

Commercial Specialty Crops Informational Leaflets - North Carolina State University

Piedmont Biofuels

Aquaculture Home Page - North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Aquaculture Network Information Center  

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center - USDA

Specialty Vegetables in Texas - Texas A & M University

List of Alternative Crops & Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification - USDA

New Crops Opportunities Center - University of Kentucky

Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production - ATTRA

Alternative Enterprises for Higher Profits, Healthier Land - USDA

NAQ, No. 38: Growing Mulch In Place Many New England vegetable growers use cover crops to protect their soil against erosion, control weeds, replenish soil organic matter and hold nutrients (Schonbeck 1988a, 1988b). Those who cannot afford to take land out of production for an entire season use winter annual crops such as rye (Secale cereale). Rye planted as late as October 15 in southern New England can suppress weeds, prevent erosion and produce ample organic matter by spring.

Increasing and maintaining soil organic content. Nature, if left to her choice, never allows bare, exposed soil. She prefers a continuous cover of diverse plants that are good for food, forage and thousands of other uses. If we overgraze or somehow destroy the good plants she then grows a less desirable plant. If we destroy or overgraze it she puts in it’s place a lesser plant until there is nothing growing except hard to control bitter, poisonous and thorny plants.

"Building Soils for Better Crops" unlocks the secret of maintaining a diverse ecosystem below ground to foster healthy crops above. Ecological soil management, as detailed by the soil experts who wrote the book, can raise fertility - and yields -while reducing environmental impacts. Building Soils contains detailed information about soil structure and the management practices that affect soils, as well as practical information like how to interpret soil test results.

"Managing Cover Crops Profitably" explores how and why cover crops work and provides all the information needed to build cover crops into any farming operation. This is the most comprehensive book ever published on the use of cover crops to sustain cropping systems and build soil.

Weed control demands time, labor and expense for every farmer every year. "Steel in the Field" shows how today's implements and techniques can control weeds while reducing - or eliminating - herbicides. In practical language, Steel presents what farmers and researchers have learned in the last 20 years about cutting weed-control costs through improved cultivation tools, cover crops and new cropping rotations.

Better Farming Series 22 - Cocoa (FAO - INADES, 1977, 32 p.) & Better Farming Series 23 - Coffee (FAO - INADES, 1977, 36 p.) & Better Farming Series 24 - The Oil Palm (FAO - INADES, 1977, 40 p.) & Better Farming Series 25 - The Rubber Tree (FAO - INADES, 1977, 31 p.)

Crops and Cropping Systems (IIRR, 1992, 43 p.)

Low-external Input Rice Production (IIRR, 292 p.) Traditional cultivars possess several attributes which make them indispensable for low-input rice production (LIRP). Among these characteristics include inherent resistance to certain pests and diseases, greater flexibility in the time seedlings can be transplanted, lower requirement for irrigation water and fertilizers and low seed-degeneration rate. Moreover, traditional cultivars have a higher (40%) market price than high-yielding varieties (HYVs). However, traditional cultivars which have characteristics, such as leafiness, tall stature; photoperiod sensitivity and susceptibility to lodge, usually have lower yield potential than HYVs. If a farmer would like to shift from planting HYVs to traditional cultivars, he should modify his practices to receive optimum output.

Root Crops Manual (NRI, 1987, 308 p.)

Cereals Manual I & Cereals Manual II

SoyBeans - UNDERSTANDING SOYBEAN PRODUCTS AND PROCESSING By Harry E. Snyder, Ph.D.: The soybean is particularly valuable because both oil and meal are marketable products. About 20 percent of the weight of soybeans is oil and 40 percent is protein. The rest is carbohydrate, moisture, and ash. Properly stored soybeans contain less than 13 percent water.

Legumes - UNDERSTANDING LEGUME CROPS By Dr. Carl S. Hoveland

Saline Agriculture: Salt-Tolerant Plants for Developing Countries (BOSTID, 1990, 130 p.) Groundwater too saline for irrigating conventional crops can be used to grow salt-tolerant plants. Even the thousands of kilometers of coastal deserts in developing countries may serve as new agricultural land, with the use of seawater for irrigation of salt-tolerant plants. These plants can be grown using land and water unsuitable for conventional crops and can provide food, fuel, fodder, fiber, resins, essential oils, and pharmaceutical feedstocks.

Oilseeds Process Small Scale Processing of Oilfruits and Oilseeds (GTZ, 1989, 100 p.) aims at closing an information gap on a third option: small scale or intermediate technologies for oil extraction. These technologies have been developed by various institutions and are presented in the hope that they might contribute to more appropriate solutions and generate additional income for families, self-help groups and co-operatives. See also: Vegetable Oil Extraction and Vegetable Oil Solvent Extraction and Oil and Starch from Sorghum

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