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ISSN: 1052-536X

Sustainable Agriculture in Print: Current Books

Special Reference Briefs Series no. SRB 97-05
August 1997

Compiled by:
AFSIC Staff and Volunteer
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
National Agricultural Library
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351


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Updates to this publication: April 2003 (note: includes May 2001 update)
Recent Acquisitions of the National Agricultural Library. 2004 Addendum to Sustainable Agriculture in Print: Current Books [Annotations added regularly]
Sustainable Agriculture in Print Series
NAL Document Delivery Services
National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record


National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record:

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (U.S.)
Sustainable agriculture in print : current books.
(Special reference briefs ; 97-05)
1. Sustainable agriculture--Bibliography. I. Title.
AS21.D27S64 no.97-05

Introduction

Sustainable Agriculture in Print: Current Books, prepared annually by the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC), first appeared in 1992 in response to requests for assistance in identifying the rapidly growing body of literature on sustainable or alternative agriculture.

Inquiries regarding earlier editions in this series, now out of print, have prompted the Center to reissue the 1992-1996 bibliographies, as well as additional new entries, in this single 1997 volume. This publication is by no means an exhaustive survey of the literature. Inclusion or omission of any work does not indicate approval or disapproval. When combined with our earlier publication, Tracing the Evolution of Organic/Sustainable Agriculture: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography (BLA 72) these titles provide bibliographic coverage of sustainable agriculture literature from 1580 to 1997.

AFSIC, part of the National Agricultural Library (NAL), focuses on providing in-depth coverage of alternative farming systems, e.g., sustainable, moderate or low-input, regenerative, biodynamic, and organic methods that maintain agricultural productivity and profitability while protecting or renewing natural resources. Support for AFSIC comes to NAL from the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is under the jurisdiction of the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).

For additional reference assistance on the many issues and techniques relevant to sustainable agriculture, please request AFSIC's List of Information Products. For a copy of the List, further information about AFSIC, or for answers to questions, please contact:

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
National Agricultural Library, Room 304
10301 Baltimore Ave.
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
Telephone: (301) 504-6422
Fax: (301) 504-6409
E-mail: afsic@nal.usda.gov
World Wide Web: http://afsic.nal.usda.gov


New entries in this series are indicated by an *

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*Title: Abstracts: International Symposium: Allelopathy in Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Environment
Editors: Narwal, S.S., et.al.
Publisher: Hisar, India: Indian Society of Allelopathy, Dept. of Agronomy, Haryana Agricultural University, 1994. 174 p.
NAL Number: QK911.I57 1994
Annotation: Papers delivered at a symposium in New Delhi, September 6-8, 1994. Focuses on the need to replace or reduce agrochemicals used for pest control and fertilizing by using natural chemicals produced by plants and soil microrganisms. There is a varied selection of experiments and processes dealing with botanical insecticides in controlling grain aphids, cotton bollworms, and many other pests in agro-horticulture, agroforestry, and aquatic ecosystems; obtaining and using allelochemicals and plant secretions from a variety of plants such as sunflower, jimson weed, castor leaf, neem, mustard meal, buttercup, and mimosine. Scientists from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe offer a wide range of experiences with an equally wide range of plants.

Title: Advances in Sustainable Small Ruminant-Tree Cropping Integrated Systems
Editors: Sivaraj, S.; P. Agamuthu; T.K. Mukherjee
Publisher: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Malaysia, 1993. 243 p.
NAL Number: QL737.U5W675 1992
Annotation: Proceedings of a workshop held Nov. 30 - Dec. 4, 1992, at Kuala Lumpur, that focused on the development of production systems of small ruminants (mainly sheep and goats) and trees (largely coconut, oil palm, rubber) in south and southeast Asia. Considers the relevance of integrated small ruminant-tree crop systems to sustainable agriculture and includes information on forage and grazing, animal productivity, socioeconomics, marketing, and animal health.

Title: AERO's Guide to Sustainable Agriculture in the Northern Rockies and Plains
Editor: Matheson, Nancy
Publisher: Helena, MT: Alternative Energy Resources Organization, 1989. 100 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86A4
Annotation: During 1987-1988 AERO conducted a survey of selected producers practicing sustainable agriculture in seven states and two provinces of the Northern Rockies and Plains. Producers were asked to evaluate their farming practices and goals and respond to demographic, agroclimatic and economic questions. Responses were used to establish a regional database of sustainable agriculture information. Includes a directory of farmers and ranchers engaged in raising small grains, vegetables, herbs, and livestock, who have shared the results of their attempts to achieve a more sustainable agriculture.

Inquiries may be made to Alternative Energy Resources Organization, 44 N. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 59601.

Title: An Agenda for Research on the Impacts of Sustainable Agriculture
Editor: Schaller, Neill
Publisher: Greenbelt, MD: Institute for Alternative Agriculture, July 1991. Occasional paper series no. 2. 15 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65O33 No. 2
Annotation: A summary of discussions by a panel of social scientists concerning the likely effects, particularly economic and environmental, of sustainable agriculture. Contemporary research on such effects is basically incompatible with the concept of sustainable agriculture. Traditional assumptions lack an understanding of balancing environmental and health protection with economic goals. Recommends that researchers develop new theories and methods better able to define and measure the complexity of sustainable agriculture, particularly in estimating crop yields from sustainable farming.

Available from Institute for Alternative Agriculture, Inc., 9200 Edmonston Rd., Suite 117, Greenbelt, MD 20770.

Title: Agricultural Alternatives and Nutritional Self-Sufficiency
Editors: Djigma, A. et al
Publisher: [Witzenhausen, Germany]: Ekopean, 1990. 429 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.I45 1989
Annotation: Proceedings of the seventh international conference of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) at Ouagadougou, Burkino Faso, January 2-5, 1989. Focus is largely on Africa. Includes papers on drought control in the Sahel region; developing more appropriate farming systems; role of farmers' organization in developing countries; appropriate technologies and development in Third World agroecosystems; research and experimentation on water preserving techniques, soil biology, organic fertilization, and biological pest control.

Title: Agricultural Bioethics: Implications of Agricultural Biotechnology
Editors: Gendel, Steven M., et al
Publisher: Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press, 1990. 357 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.B56A37 1990
Annotation: A study of the potential effects of biological innovations on the quality of life for producers and consumers of agricultural products. Focuses on the ethical implications, benefits and costs that arise from developments in biotechnology. Considers safety and regulatory issues; the impact in scientific and industrial sectors; farmers' appraisal of technological innovations; economic influences and prospects; social considerations, ethical dilemmas and moral responsibilities in making decisions.

Title: Agricultural Conservation Alternatives: The Greening of the Farm Bill
Editor: Sorensen, A. Ann
Publisher: DeKalb, IL: American Farmland Trust, Center for Agriculture in the Environment, October 1994. 130 p.
NAL Number: S604.6.A57 1994
Annotation: A review of 25 programs, associated with environmental issues and agriculture, proposed for the 1995 Farm Bill. A panel of agricultural experts recommend several proposals, with details provided in position papers, including: setting environmental and resource conservation standards that farmers must meet in order to qualify for benefits; offering property tax credits to farmers who agree to implement conservation plans; strengthening incentives for farmers to implement water quality plans; encouraging feed grain farmers to plant resource-saving crops; continuing the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program; creating a rural land trust that would combine several conservation and land retirement programs; guaranteed revenue programs; transfer of inter-farm conservation reserve acres.

Inquiries may be made to American Farmland Trust, Center for Agriculture in the Environment, P.O. Box 987, DeKalb, IL 60115.

Title: Agricultural Ecology
Author: Tivy, Joy
Publisher: New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1990. 288 p.
NAL Number: S589.7.T58
Annotation: Analyzes important ecological characteristics that affect the relationships between crops, livestock and the environment, and how man has managed and altered the agroecosystem. Examines crops, livestock, climate and soil and the processes of nutrient cycling and energy flows; natural and man-made problems that place severe limitations on agricultural use, with emphasis on paddy rice, irrigation agriculture and modern intensive farming. Assesses environmental impact on both temperate and tropical agriculture.

Inquiries may be made to The World Bank, Office of the Publisher, 1818 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20433.

Title: Agricultural Policy and Sustainability: Case Studies from India, Chile, the Philippines and the United States
Editor: Faeth, Paul
Publisher: Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 1993. 113 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86A37 1993
Annotation: Maintains that conventional economic analysis obscures or miscalculates the degradation of the natural resource base that supports agriculture and contributes to policies that damage this resource base. Explores how such policies influence farmers' choices. Suggests natural resource accounting methods that provide a better comparison between farm policies and sustainability. Offers several recommendations in the areas studied - - rice and wheat production in India, wheat farming in Chile, pesticides and rice production in the Philippines. Considers U.S. farm policy biased against resource conserving production systems. Analyzes alternatives to corn and soybean production in Pennsylvania and Nebraska.

Inquiries may be made to World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006.

Title: Agricultural Productivity, Sustainability, and Fertilizer Use
Author: Parish, D. H.
Publisher: Muscle Shoals, AL: International Fertilizer Development Center, 1993. Paper series IFDC P-18. 21 p.
NAL Number: S596.7.P37 1993
Annotation: Discusses the major issues involved in using fertilizers, including interaction with soil and water, nutrient recovery, nitrogen fixation, soil-borne diseases, soil erosion, the environment, crop production.

Inquiries may be made to International Fertilizer Development Center, P.O. Box 2040, Muscle Shoals, AL 35662.

Title: Agricultural Research Alternatives
Authors: Lockeretz, William and Molly D. Anderson
Publisher: Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. 239 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86O97 v. 3
Annotation: Volume 3 in the series, Our Sustainable Future. Examines the historical and philosophical forces that have influenced agricultural research in the U.S. Considers the relevance of multidisciplinary research to alternative agriculture; the connection between agroecology and alternative agriculture; developing information and management systems; on-farm research; farmers' influence on research. Proposes means for developing the most relevant and efficient kinds of research, such as a professional reward system, funding programs, and agricultural education.

*Title: Agricultural Sustainability: Economic, Environmental and Statistical Considerations
Editors: Barnett, Vic; Roger Payne; Roy Steiner
Publisher: New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1995. 266 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86A375 1995
Annotation: This book is the result of an international research study funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Six major research stations (University of Missouri, Auburn University, University of Oregon, and in the United Kingdom, India, and the Philippines) were asked to use their experimental data and expertise to determine how to measure sustainability in quantitative terms. These centers were able to use long-term data (going back to the 19th century in most cases) involving cotton production in Alabama, rice growing in Asia, wheat/fallow systems in the U.S Pacific Northwest, multi-crop rotations in Missouri, cropping systems in India, park grass and wheat in Britain. Describes experiments, how performance and production data were collected and analyzed. As one would expect in reviewing research there is a substantial amount of statistical data in the form of graphs, charts, tables, and mathematical formulae.

Title: Agriculture and Environmental Challenges: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Agricultural Sector Symposium
Editors: Srivastava, Jitendra P. and Harold Alderman
Publisher: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 1993. 289 p.
NAL Number: S589.75.A365 1993
Annotation: Papers include general views on agriculture and environmentally sustainable development; technical, socioeconomic and policy considerations for sustainable agriculture; population growth and land degradation; conservation tillage for conserving soil, moisture and energy; moisture management in semiarid regions; soil fertility management in the tropics; biological nitrogen fertilization; making integrated pest management work in developing countries; changing farming practices of smallholders in Central America; women in agricultural resource management; poverty and the environment in developing countries.

Title: Agriculture and Environmental Change: Temporal and Spatial Dimensions
Author: Mannion, A.M.
Publisher: New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1995. 405 p.
NAL Number: S589.7.M37 1995
Annotation: The relationship between agricultural systems and natural ecosystems from the beginning of agriculture to the present. Describes the history of agriculture in the Near East, Egypt, Europe, China, and the Americas. Discusses transitory agricultural systems, and arable, pastoral, or mixed systems of settled agriculture. Assesses the impact of agriculture on landscape change, soil erosion, desertification, and changes in water quality in middle, high, and low latitudes. New developments influencing agriculture include biotechnology, genetic engineering, information technology, population increases, global warming, and sustainable agriculture.

Title: Agriculture and the Environment
Editors: Edwards, C.A. et al
Publisher: New York: Elsevier, 1993. 326 p.
NAL Number: S589.75.I58 1993
Annotation: Papers presented at the International Conference on Agriculture and the Environment, November 10-13, 1993. Reprinted from Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, vol. 46, nos. 1-4, 1993. Topics include observations on the concept and future of agricultural sustainability; land and energy use in tropical agriculture; tropical forests and global carbon; geologic research in support of sustainable agriculture; land degradation and sustainable agricultural growth in developing countries; global warming; agroecology and integrated farming systems; economic framework for evaluating agricultural policy and sustainability of production systems; managing pesticides and agricultural practices for crop production and water quality protection; environmental and economic aspects of integrated pest management.

Title: Agriculture and the Environment
Editor: Jones, John Gareth
Publisher: New York: Ellis Horwood, 1993. 200 p.
NAL Number: TD427.A35A38 1993
Annotation: Another title in the Ellis Horwood series, Environmental Management, Science and Technology. A collection of papers and discussions by British farmers, government regulators, environmental managers and academic professionals. Although reflecting British circumstances, many of the issues discussed will be familiar to anyone interested in the frequent conflict between agriculturists and environmentalists. Discusses the farmer's need for agricultural chemicals, preventing water pollution from manufacturing and agrochemicals, agricultural use of sewage sludge, river and groundwater contamination from farming activities (including fish farming), farm waste and nitrate pollution, agricultural requirements for water for irrigation and aquaculture, agricultural benefits and environmental impact from land drainage.

Title: Agriculture and the Environment: The 1991 Yearbook of Agriculture
Publisher: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. 325 p.
NAL Number: 1 Ag84Y 1991
Annotation: Includes articles on research and land management; conservation tillage; monitoring soil changes; health of American forests; protecting habitats of endangered species; agriculture and water quality; restoring and protecting wetlands; air quality and crop productivity; alternative fuel sources; technology for monitoring the environment; pest management; computer models for pesticide and fertilizer use; food safety; waste reduction; international aspects of sustainable agriculture.

Title: Agriculture, Environment, and Health: Sustainable Development in the 21st Century
Editor: Ruttan, Vernon W.
Publisher: Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1994. 401 p.
NAL Number: S589.75.A39 1994
Annotation: Based on papers presented at the Conference on Agriculture, Environment, and Health, held at Bellagio, Italy, October 15 - 18, 1991. Examines the challenges and significance of global population and environmental changes for achieving sustainable agricultural development. Topics include building national and international agricultural research systems; constraints on institutional innovation; health research in the Third World; capacity to monitor the sources and effects of climatic and environmental changes on agriculture.

Title: An Agriculture That Makes Sense: Profitability of Four Sustainable Farms in Minnesota
Authors: Chan-Muehlbauer, Charlene; Jodi Dansingburg; Douglas Gunnink
Publisher: Marine on St. Croix, MN: The Land Stewardship Project, [1994]. 43 p.
NAL Number: S451.M6C43 1994
Annotation: Looks at methods, production figures, and cost analyses for four farming operations in south central and southeastern Minnesota. Includes a 334-acre, 67-head dairy cow farm, using controlled grazing; a 248-acre, 73-head Holstein dairy farm, raising corn, oats, and hay with little or no chemical pesticides or artificial fertilizers; a 305-acre crop and dairy farm that specializes in marketing organic yellow and blue corn, soybeans, and small grains; and a 305-acre crop and livestock farm using no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Inquiries may be made to The Land Stewardship Project, 14758 Ostlund Trail N., Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047.

Title: Agroecology: Researching the Ecological Basis for Sustainable Agriculture
Editor: Gliessman, Stephen R.
Publisher: New York: Springer-Verlag, 1990. Ecological studies, v. 78. 380 p.
NAL Number: QH540.E288 v. 78
Annotation: Provides research case studies in the emerging field of agroecology. Combines the production focus of the agronomist with the systems view of the ecologist. Presents different methodologies and international perspectives for evaluating and managing agroecosystems in tropical and temperate regions.

*Title: Agroecosystem Health: Proceedings of an International Workshop
Editor: Nielsen, N. Ole
Publisher: Guelph, Ont.: University of Guelph, September 1994. 114 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86A48 1994
Annotation: Presentations from a workshop held as part of the 1st International Symposium on Ecosystem Health and Medicine at Ottawa, June 19, 1994. Purpose was to define concepts and indicators of ecosytem health to aid agricultural research agencies, particularly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in their work on sustainability.

*Title: Agroforestry and Sustainable Systems: Symposium Proceedings
Technical Coordinator: Rietveld, W.J.
Publisher:
Ft. Collins, CO: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, 1995. General Technical Report RM-GTR-261. 276 p.
NAL Number: aSD11.A42 no. 261
Annotation: Papers and abstracts from a symposium held at Ft. Collins, August 7-10, 1994. Emphasis is on new agroforestry technologies and applications, such as managing salinity on irrigated land, aiding pollution control, providing windbreaks that contribute to raising specialty crops, enhancing wildlife. Provides regional assessments of agroforestry in the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain area, Southwest, and the Great Plains. Discusses the barriers to agroforestry practices (often economic), some of the social issues involved, and the role of agroforestry in land-use systems.

Title: Agronomic, Economic, and Ecological Relationships in Alternative (Organic), Conventional, and Reduced-Till Farming Systems
Editors: Smolik, James D. et al
Publisher: [Brookings, SD?]: Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University, September 1993. Bulletin 718. 57 p.
NAL Number: 100 So82(1) B718
Annotation: Summarizes results of research trials begun in 1984 on several South Dakota farms. Objectives were to measure yields in alternative, conventional, and reduced-till systems; compare whole-farm productivity and economic performance; determine the influence of each type of farming on soil nutrients, temperature, water content, density, residue cover, and snow catch; compare the quantity of plant and microbial feeding nematodes, earthworms, fungi and bacteria; determine weed density and insect damage; consider the relative sustainability of each system in connection with human health, pollution and other environmental factors.

Title: Alternative Agricultural Opportunities: A Bibliography
Publisher: St. Paul, MN: Center for Alternative Plant and Animal Products, University of Minnesota, 1991. 106 p.
NAL Number: Z5074.A815A57 1991
Annotation: A bibliography prepared from fact sheets, research reports, manuals, conference proceedings, Extension publications, and other sources often overlooked. Contents are divided into five major areas, agronomic field crops (forage, fiber, grains, legumes, oilseeds); horticultural crops (fruits, nuts, vegetables, ornamentals, greenhouse production); forest resources (woodland management and timber marketing); livestock (aquaculture, bees, cattle, buffalo, deer, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, mules, llamas, alpacas, wildlife); marketing and economics. Includes a subject index.

Available for purchase from Center for Alternative Plant and Animal Products, University of Minnesota, 340 Alderman Hall, 1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108

Title: Alternative Agriculture: A Review and Assessment of the Literature
Authors: Crosson, Pierre and Janet Ekey
Publisher: Washington, DC: Resources for the Future, November 1988. Discussion paper ENR 88-01. 64 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65C76
Annotation: An assessment of the literature dealing with the comparative economic and environmental characteristics of alternative and conventional agriculture. Reports on air and water quality; animal habitat; health of farmers and consumers affected by pesticides; soil erosion; soil productivity; and the use of fossil fuels. Includes annotated bibliography of literature sources.

Title: Alternative Agriculture: Federal Incentives and Farmers' Opinions
Publisher: Washington, DC: U.S. General Accounting Office, Report to Congressional Requesters, February 1990. GAO/PEMD-90-12. 95 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65U54
Annotation: Describes the economic and environmental problems associated with conventional farming practices and defines the characteristics of alternative agriculture. Results from interviews with 74 farmers and farm program officials indicate that lower yields and profits, increased weed and pest problems, and the federal farm program contribute to deter the use of alternative agriculture. Important implications of this study indicate that federal farm programs have a great influence on crop choice that make it difficult for farmers to grow other crops or implement more diverse crop rotations. The programs will have to be modified if the government wants to facilitate the adoption of alternative agriculture.

Title: Alternative Agriculture: Scientists' Review
Publisher: Ames, IA: Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, Special Publication no. 16, July 1990. 182 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65A452 1990
Annotation: A review of the 1989 study published by the National Research Council (NRC) entitled, Alternative Agriculture. Over 40 agricultural scientists and specialists contributed evaluations of the NRC study. Acknowledges the difficulty in clearly distinguishing between alternative and conventional agriculture. The critiques and comments focus on the scientific and factual aspects of the NRC study and do not deal with philosophical differences between conventional and alternative systems. The reviews cover agricultural engineering, economics, sociology, toxicology, food science, plant pathology, and animal, crop, and soil sciences.

Inquiries may be made to Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, 137 Lynn Ave., Ames, IA 50010.

Title: Alternative Agriculture / Committee on the Role of Alternative Farming Methods in Modern Production Agriculture; Board on Agriculture; National Research Council
Publisher: Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1989. 448 p.
NAL Number: S441.A46
Annotation: Traces the evolution of U.S. agriculture in the domestic and world economies since World War II. Outlines the major economic and environmental consequences of agricultural practices and federal government policies. Describes problems in the farm economy, agricultural pollution of water, soil erosion, pesticide and antibiotic residues in food, pest resistance to pesticides. Examines farming practices used in alternative agriculture and analyzes the economic potential of alternative systems. Includes case studies describing farms managed with a combination of alternative and conventional practices.

Title: Alternative Crop and Alternative Crop Production Research
Publisher: Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University, 1990. 40 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65A46 1990
Annotation: A summary report of research conducted in North Dakota on alternative oilseeds (including rapeseed, crambe, safflower, canola), multiple cropping, and new crop development (including faba and garbanzo beans, field peas, lentils, lupines, wheatgrass, switchgrass, wild rye, potatoes, amaranth). Also reports on plant resistance to and control of flea beetles.

Title: Alternative Crop and Alternative Crop Production Research
Publisher: Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University, 1992. 95 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65A46 1992
Annotation: An update to the marketing and use of alternative crops research being conducted at NDSU. Includes work done on oil seeds, amaranth, crambe, barley, pearl millet; spring wheat-soybean, flax-wheat and flax-lentil intercropping; lupin production; flea beetle control.

Title: Alternative Farming Systems and Rural Communities: Exploring the Connections
Publisher: Greenbelt, MD: Institute for Alternative Agriculture**, 1992. 100 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65A57 1992
Annotation: Proceedings of IAA's ninth annual scientific symposium held at Chevy Chase, MD, on March 2 and 3, 1992. Discussions explored the meaning and importance of community; the ecological connections between alternative farming and rural communities; what alternative farming systems and rural communities can do for each other; research methods that measure the movement of farmers into sustainable practices and the effect this may have on rural communities; the impact of past public policy and what reforms are needed to ensure viable links between agriculture and rural communities.

** Now the Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, 9200 Edmonston Rd., Suite 117, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1551.

Title: Alternative Field Crops Manual
Publisher: [Madison, WI?]: University of Wisconsin Cooperative and Extension Services; University of Minnesota Center for Alternative Plant and Animal Products, [1990?]. Various pagings in looseleaf binder.
NAL Number: SB187.U6A47 1990
Annotation: Contains separate profiles on several crops: beans (adzuki, castor, dry or field, faba, jojoba, mung), amaranth, broomcorn, buckwheat, canarygrass, canola or rapeseed, chickpea, flax, hairy vetch, hop, kochia, lentil, lupine, meadow foam, millet, popcorn, rye, sesame, sorghum, spelt, sunflower, triticale, and cool season grass. Each profile provides a history of that crop, its use, growth habits, environment requirements, seed preparation, weed and disease control, harvesting, drying and storage, yield and performance, production economics and markets, sources of additional information.

Inquiries may be made to University of Wisconsin Cooperative or Extension Service, Dept. of Agronomy, Madison, WI 53706, or Center for Alternative Plant and Animal Products, 340 Alderman Hall, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108.

Title: Amish Agriculture in Iowa: Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Small-Farm Systems
Author: Yoder, Rhonda Lou
Publisher: Ames, IA: Iowa State University, Technology and Social Change Program, 1990. Studies in Technology and Social Change no. 15. 69 p.
NAL Number: S451.I8Y63 1990
Annotation: Observations about the Iowa Amish and their farming methods as a model of sustainable agriculture. Although not a technical report, attention is given to agricultural practices and social and cultural features to determine how Amish farmers are unique and how they are similar to other Iowa farmers. Includes a brief review of the historical development of Old Order Amish in Europe and the United States.

Inquiries may be made to the Center for Indigenous Knowledge for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University, 318 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA 50011.

Title: Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture: Seven Case Studies
Publisher: [Ottawa, Ont.?]: Science Council of Canada, 1992. 31 p.
NAL Number: S451.5.A1T57 1992
Annotation: Another in a series of papers by the Science Council's committee on sustainable agriculture. Describes operations on an organic vegetable farm in Nova Scotia, a potato farm in New Brunswick, a dairy farm in Quebec, mixed and cash crop farms in Ontario, a grain and hog farm in Saskatchewan, and a tree fruit farm in British Columbia. The farmers' reasons for using alternative methods vary, but all are concerned about the health risks of chemicals to farmers and consumers and damage to the environment.

Title: At Nature's Pace: Farming and the American Dream
Author: Logsdon, Gene
Publisher: New York: Pantheon Books, 1994. 208 p.
NAL Number: S441.L613 1994
Annotation: A collection of informal essays dealing with the decline of rural society, the failure of agricultural education, traditional farming economies (such as the Amish), sustainable farms as repositories of human skills and common sense; thoughts about the future for farms and rural communities.


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Title: Basic Formula to Create Community Supported Agriculture
Author: Van En, Robyn
Publisher: Great Barrington, MA: Robyn Van En, 1992. Unnumbered pages.
NAL Number: HD9225.A2V35 1992
Annotation: A handbook for organizing and maintaining community based agriculture. Includes ideas for reaching local customers, acquiring land, harvesting and distributing, promoting cooperation. Provides information on seed varieties and pesticides found on produce; a directory of community supported agriculture projects; resource guide.

Available for purchase from Robyn Van En, Indian Line Farm, RR 3, Box 85, Great Barrington, MA 01230.

Title: The Basic Principles of Sustainable Agriculture (also called Alternative Agriculture and LISA): An Introduction for Farmers, Environmentalists, the Public, and Policy-makers
Authors: Hudson, William J. and Jonathan Harsch
Publisher: Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, February 1991. 32 p.
NAL Number: aS441.H82 1991
Annotation: A booklet that answers, in very general terms, elementary questions about sustainable agriculture. Highlights beneficial aspects of 1985 and 1990 federal farm legislation. Includes some data on fertilizer and chemical pesticide costs; comparative crop rotations and yields; tillage systems; livestock needs; pest control; marketing and economic aspects; how farmers should approach the transition from conventional to sustainable agriculture.

Available from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, Room 3849 South Building, Washington, DC 20250.

Title: Benefits of Diversity: An Incentive Towards Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Elzakker, Boudewijn van; Rob Witte; Jan Diek van Mansvelt
Publisher:
New York: Environment and Natural Resources Division, United Nations Development Programme, 1992. 209 p.
NAL Number: S605.5.E49 1992
Annotation: Provides a brief description of the problems facing agriculture, the concept of organic agriculture, and analyzes the viability of organic farming in developing countries. Most of the book is devoted to case study reports evaluating and comparing diverse farming practices and production in areas around the world, including vegetable growing in Indonesia; contour farming in the Philippines; tea and other cropping systems in India; Egyptian horticulture; growing cotton in Turkey; producing dates in Morocco; composting, sesame production, and water utilization in Burkina Faso; regenerating soil in Senegal; alley cropping in the hilly terrain of Tanzania; growing bananas in the Dominican Republic, vegetables and coffee in Mexico, corn and beans in Nicaragua, sugar cane in Brazil, soya and peanuts in Paraguay. Concludes with a discussion of the feasibility of organic agriculture in the developing world, in which economic, social, and environmental aspects are considered. Although encouraged by the results of organic farming, this book also recognizes that there are local and international factors that interfere with the viability of sustainable farming as an alternative to conventional practices. The authors offer some basic recommendations that include replacing synthetic pesticides with alternative pest management; using organic matter to regenerate degraded soil; avoiding highly soluble chemical fertilizers; promoting on-farm processing of products; developing international marketing structures.

Title: The Best of Permaculture: A Collection
Authors: Lindegger, Max O. and Robert Tap
Publisher: Nambour, Queensland, Australia: Nascimanere Pty. Ltd., 1990. 136 p.
NAL Number: S605.5.B4 1990
Annotation: A new edition of the original 1986 publication. Contains 52 short articles, by Bill Mollison and others, dealing with the multidisciplinary nature of permaculture, a sustainable and permanent agriculture not confined to plant growing, but concerned with all elements of life and their relationship to each other. Some of the diverse topics include: designing a food system to meet society's real need; the nutritional benefits from organic horticulture; soil conditioning and conservation; forest regeneration; urban agriculture and forestry; designing systems of energy that maximize the use of renewable resources; using weeds to advantage; developing habitable communities; materials in building construction that affect health and the environment; biological control of plant and animal pests; organic growing of grapevines; aquaculture in Australia.

Title: A Better Row to Hoe: The Economic, Environmental, and Social Impact of Sustainable Agriculture
Publisher: St. Paul, MN: Northwest Area Foundation, December 1994. 39 p.
NAL Number: S441.B47 1994
Annotation: A report based on six years of research supported by Foundation grants. Comparisons of sustainable and conventional methods are made in farm practices and crop yields, farm economics, labor and management, and community interactions. Public policies and other factors influencing the choice of sustainable methods are considered.

Title: Beyond the Large Farm: Ethics and Research Goals for Agriculture
Editors: Thompson, Paul B. and Bill A. Stout
Publisher: Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1991. 312 p.
NAL Number: S541.B48
Annotation: Assesses the direction in which U.S. agricultural policy should go. Includes an analysis of the environmental degradation caused by conventional agriculture and what should be reasonable environmental goals.

Title: Bio-Dynamic Farming Practice
Authors: Sattler, Friedrich and Eckard v. Wistinghausen
Publisher: Stourbridge, West Midlands, UK: Bio-Dynamic Agricultural Association, 1992.
333 p.
NAL Number: S605.5.S2713 1992
Annotation: An English translation of the original book in German published in 1989. Its central concept is the farm as a self-sustaining unit and how by joining management skills, appropriate crop technology and animal husbandry a system can be created that makes ecological sense. The methods and practices described are the product of practical experience. Includes details on soil conditions, tillage, manures, compost and other soil conditioners; emphasizes the importance of working with natural rhythms and special dynamics; provides information on seeds, sowing techniques, a wide variety of crops, livestock and poultry. Offers ideas on landscape management, including pastures, meadows and farm gardens; financial, labor and marketing aspects; training and converting to biodynamic methods. The text is supported by 85 diagrams, 82 tables and 36 color plates.

Title: The Biodynamic Farm
Author: Koepf, Herbert H.
Publisher: Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1989. 245 p.
NAL Number: S605.5K593
Annotation: Stresses the need to change from the conventional system of agriculture to the biodynamic method of protecting and nurturing soils, improving food quality, and organically integrating the farm into the environment. Provides details on animal feeding, crop rotation, diseases, pests, and fertilizing. Contains addresses of biodynamic associations and related training programs.

Title: Biotic Diversity in Agroecosystems
Editors: Paoletti, M.G. and D. Pimentel
Publisher: New York: Elsevier, 1992. 356 p.
NAL Number: S589.7.S93 1990
Annotation: Selected papers from a symposium on agroecology and conservation issues in tropical and temperate regions held at Padova, Italy, Sept. 26-29, 1990. Reprinted from the periodical, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, vol. 40, nos. 1-4 (1992). Discusses the inability of sustainable agriculture and forestry to be productive when significant numbers of species in natural biota are lost; agricultural technologies that improve the environment and contribute to increasing biodiversity; relationship between microbial biomass and soil organic matter; using landscaping, legumes, and new crops to increase the diversity of agriculture; monitoring biodiversity.

Title: Building Bridges: Cooperative Research and Education for Iowa Agriculture: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture 1992 Proceedings
Publisher: Ames, IA: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 1992. 124 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86B85 1992
Annotation: Proceedings of the third annual Leopold Center conference held Feb. 18 and 19, 1992, at Ames. Discusses the roles of regulation, financial incentives, penalties, design specifications, performance standards, technical assistance, and education in encouraging sustainable agriculture. Other topics include nitrogen fertilization rates for corn; insecticide rates and corn rootworm larval damage; response of the farm supply and service industry to the trend toward sustainable agriculture; balancing economic and environmental considerations in sustainable farm planning and management decisions; government farm policy; farmers' research needs; sustainable agriculture in developing countries. Additional abstracts, largely based on Iowa experiences, include the effect of soybean planting date on damage from insect pests; using plant pathogens and natural product chemicals for control of weeds; contour strip-cropping with trees on erodible land; using fall-planted spring oats as a cover crop to reduce soil erosion after soybean harvest; pasture and forage management; genetic diversity in alternative crops; tillage practices and ground water quality.

Title: Building Soils for Better Crops: Organic Matter Management
Author: Magdoff, Fred
Publisher: Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1992. 176 p.
NAL Number: S592.8.M34 1992
Annotation: Volume 2 in the series, Our Sustainable Future. Discusses the importance of organic matter to soil fertility and practices that enhance organic matter in the soil, such as using animal manures, cover crops, crop residues and composts, reduced tillage and erosion control. Provides technical information on the chemistry and dynamics of soil organic matter. Includes a glossary of common terms.

Title: Building Sustainable Communities: Tools and Concepts for Self-Reliant Economic Change
Contributors: Benello, C. George; Robert Swann; Shann Turnbull
Editor: Morehouse, Ward
Publisher: New York: The Bootstrap Press, 1989. 187 p.
NAL Number: HT388.B8
Annotation: This is a revised and expanded version of parts of the Handbook for Community Economic Change, published in 1983, based on Schumacher Society seminars. Discusses the concept, principles, structure and operation of community land trusts as alternatives to traditional landholding practices. The main objective is to put land to sensible and productive use by reducing speculation and providing access to land for those who otherwise lack such access. Proposes other forms of community self-management, including currency and banking. Deals with other aspects of social capitalism.


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*Title: Causes of Soil Degradation and Development Approaches to Sustainable Soil Management
Author: Steiner, Kurt Georg
Publisher: Weikersheim, Germany: Margraf Verlag, 1996. 133 p.
NAL Number: S623.S7413 1996
Annotation: Sustainable Soil Management, a pilot project funded by the German Government, produced this report as part of its commitment to develop ideas and methods for restoring, using, and preserving soil in a sustainable manner. Although this project is a European venture considerable emphasis is given to the vulnerability of soil and the damage that has been caused in the tropics and subtropics. The book explores the socio-economic and biophysical causes of soil degradation and suggests policies, methods, and other remedies for dealing with the problem. What makes this cause-effect-remedy dilemma difficult to deal with is the complex diversity in culture, climate, ecology, and land use that prevails around the world. Any improvement must be based on factors favorable to change and economic incentives that appeal to land users.

Title: Cereal-Legume Cropping Systems: Nine Farm Case Studies in the Dryland Northern Plains, Canadian Prairies, and Intermountain Northwest
Authors: Matheson, Nancy, et al
Publisher: Helena, MT: Alternative Energy Resources Organization, 1991. 75 p.
NAL Number: S602.5.C47 1991
Annotation: Case studies that reflect an alternative system of farming that relies heavily on understanding and using nature's cycles. Lays out a rational approach to changing from conventional agriculture to an alternative system. Looks at the experiences of farmers who (a) have been successful in using legumes or other crops in dryland small grains rotations, (b) have kept careful field records, (c) have offered to make public details of their operations, (d) rely on farm income for the major portion of their total income and are financially stable.

Available for purchase from Alternative Energy Resources Organization, 44 North Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 59601.

Title: Chicken Little, Tomato Sauce and Agriculture: Who Will Produce Tomorrow's Food?
Author: Gussow, Joan Dye
Publisher: New York: The Bootstrap Press, 1991. 143 p.
NAL Number: S441.G87 1991
Annotation: Discusses the major problems facing food production and distribution systems, e.g., the loss of topsoil, heavy use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, low commodity prices, high debt loads, unstable land prices, falling farm population. Explores the competing alternatives of industrial agriculture and smaller-scale, more localized sustainable food systems.

Title: A Child's Organic Garden: Grow Your Own Delicious Nutritious Foods
Authors: Fryer, Lee and Leigh Bradford
Publisher: Washington, DC: Acropolis Books, 1989. 88 p.
NAL Number: jSB324.3F79
Annotation: An easy to read narrative of how an experienced adult gardener teaches a youngster to grow safe nutritional food, such as sweet peas, radishes, potatoes, green beans, corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Includes advice on obtaining seeds, fertilizers, and tools; preparing the soil for planting; caring for the garden to ensure healthy plants; harvesting.

Title: Choices for the Heartland: Alternative Directions in Biotechnology and Implications for Family Farming, Rural Communities, and the Environment. (Studies in Technology and Social Change Series No. 9)
Authors: Hassebrook, Chuck and Gabriel Hegyes
Publisher: Ames, IA: Iowa State University Research Foundation, 1989. 113 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.B563H37
Annotation: A report to inform residents in the rural North Central region of the U.S. about developments in biotechnology and the implications they present. Provides information for establishing social and environmental goals that technology should serve and determining the desirable choices to be made. Covers biotechnology use in pest, weed and plant disease control; livestock reproduction, growth and disease control.

Title: Choosing a Sustainable Future: The Report of the National Commission on the Environment
Author: National Commission on the Environment
Publisher: Washington, DC: Island Press, 1993. 180 p.
NAL Number: HC110.E5N316 1993
Annotation: Cites the global and domestic environmental problems which the U.S. faces, e.g., loss of biodiversity, climate change, ozone depletion, air pollution, waste disposal, encroachment of land development on critical ecosystems and rural landscapes, mismanagement of public lands and resources, deteriorating quality of farmland, contamination and reduction of freshwater supplies, marine pollution and overfishing. Offers recommendations that include: designing technologies for sustainable development and energy use; government tax and incentive policies; promoting environmental awareness; improving living standards in developing countries; moderating population growth; legislative means for preventing pollution; achieving environ-mental goals and economic growth; ensuring viable habitats for humans and other species.

*Title: Clean Water - Clean Environment - 21st Century: Team Agriculture - Working to Protect Water Resources: Conference Proceedings
Publisher: St. Joseph, MI: American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 3 vols., 1995. Vol. 1 (Pesticides) 186 p., Vol. 2 (Nutrients) 254 p., Vol. 3 (Practices, Systems & Adoption) 318 p.
NAL Number: TD365.C54 1995 v.1; v.2; v.3
Annotation: Proceedings of a conference held in Kansas City, MO, March 5-8, 1995. Vol. 1, dealing with pesticides, includes 47 brief papers. Topics include reducing herbicides in conservation tillage systems, experiences with Alachlor and Atrazine, movement of agricultural chemicals in groundwater and surface runoff, and practices to prevent pesticide leaching. Vol. 2, dealing with nutrients, presents 64 papers on subjects that include fertilizer and irrigation management, nitrate leaching, impact of fertilizers and animal waste on the quality of ground and surface water, managing soil salinity, effect of no-tillage systems on soil nitrogen, and treating wastewater. Vol. 3 includes various models, management practices and systems to reduce groundwater contamination, such as the use of trees as buffers in riparian areas, strip intercropping, water table and irrigation control, tillage methods, economic and environmental elements in water quality.

Title: Clean Water and Thriving Farms: Mutual Goals in Sustainable Agriculture
Author: Kemp, Loni
Publishers: Washington, DC: Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group; St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Project, January 1994. 13 p.
NAL Number: S444.K46 1994
Annotation: Includes a brief history of the Clean Water Act, that focused largely on industry, leaving agriculture with the unenviable role of being the major source of water pollution. Describes the familiar ways agriculture does this, e.g., runoffs of chemicals, salts, oils, and organic wastes into streams, lakes, and groundwater. Recounts how sustainable farming methods contribute to protecting water quality. Argues that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not been aggressive in dealing with polluted runoff, and several other government programs have had only a limited effect on water conservation and quality. Offers several policy recommendations, including incentives that will encourage farmers to voluntarily switch to sustainable practices; clear, consistent, and fair regulations, vigorously enforced, aimed at reducing pollution.

Inquiries may be made to The Minnesota Project, 1885 University Ave. W, Suite 315, St. Paul, MN 55104 or Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, 110 Maryland Ave. NE, Box 76, Washington, DC 20002.

Title: Common Harvest: An Alternative Food and Agriculture Resource Directory (2nd ed.)
Authors: Guenthner, Dan; Rick Bonlender; Dick Kulisheck
Publisher: Minneapolis: Food Action Network, Inc., 1992. 150 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86G84 1992
Annotation: Looks at the issues that influence current popular concepts of food and land. Considers alternative choices that are available to help create a more sustainable food system, such as small space gardening, edible landscaping, composting, seed gathering, and food preservation. Offers ideas on diet and nutrition with suggestions on food choices for improved health. Discusses collective initiatives such as community and specialized gardening, local food policies, land trusts and stewardship. Lists organizations, commercial outlets, books and periodicals that are useful in all areas of alternative food production.

Available for purchase from Food Action Network, Inc., 5324 Park Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55417-1720.

Title: Common-Sense Pest Control
Authors: Olkowski, William; Sheila Daar; Helga Olkowski
Publisher: Newtown, CT: The Taunton Press, 1991. 736 p.
NAL Number: SB950.O35
Annotation: A detailed guide for controlling pests by using a variety of physical, mechanical, cultural and biological methods that are cost effective and carry the least risk to people and the environment. Deals separately with pests of the human body, animals, indoor plants, house and garden. Analyzes damage, detection and treatment.

Title: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis: Special Issue Devoted to Perspectives on Relationships Between Sustainability of Soil and the Environment
Editor: Wallace, Arthur
Publisher: New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1994. 169 p.
NAL Number: S590.C63. Vol. 25, nos. 1 & 2, 1994
Annotation: The 25th anniversary issue of this journal addresses the challenge of recovering and maintaining healthy soil to secure the long-term sustainability of agriculture. Soil organic matter contributes not only nutrients but provides necessary physical and biological properties. Discusses the importance of restoring soil organic matter to near original levels; storing carbon in soil as a means of avoiding global warming; small-scale farms as a model for conservation; social and economic barriers to sustainable agriculture; environmentally sound rules for fertilizers; employing water-soluble polymers and gypsum to correct soil problems and ensure more efficient use of water; the need to consider the value of protecting an ecosystem more than an endangered species. Suggests that consumerism may be the primary environmental problem facing the world.

Title: The Comparative Economics of Alternative Agricultural Production Systems: An Annotated Bibliography
Authors: Fox, Glenn, et al
Publisher: Guelph, Ont.: University of Guelph, Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, January 1991. Working paper series, WP 91/02. 69 p.
NAL Number: HD1781.W67
Annotation: A summary of information published between 1975-1989 about production and environmental economics of alternative production systems for crops and vegetables in North America. Emphasis is on professional literature relating to comparative profitability and income risk. Summaries are categorized by conservation tillage and soil erosion, pest control, cost of environmental protection, external effects of agricultural production systems, and comparisons of organic, alternative and conventional production systems.

Title: Composting: Everyone's Solution (Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Meeting, The Composting Council of Canada)
Publisher: Ottawa, Ont.: The Composting Council of Canada, 1993. 442 p.
NAL Number: TD796.5.C65 1993
Annotation: Proceedings of a conference held September 23-24, 1993, in Montreal. Papers are in English or French. Offers an overview of farm and home composting in Canada; a brief presentation on marketing and distributing compost in the U.S. Other papers include: aspects of composting in Quebec; municipal waste processing; worm composting; composting paper sludge, slaughterhouse waste, seafood waste, garden residues, wastewater sludge, and animal manure; effects of compost on soil and various crops; developing quality standards for compost; analyzing the components of compost; establishing and operating composting facilities.

Inquiries may be made to The Composting Council of Canada, 200 MacLaren St., Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0Z9 Canada.

Title: Composting Potato Culls and Potato Processing Wastes: A Feasibility Study
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, ME: Woods End Research Laboratory, 1990. 45 p.
NAL Number: TD796.5.C66 1990
Annotation: Potato wastes have long been used in making starch, alcohol, and animal feed. A project was undertaken in Maine to determine how best to compost these wastes so that the nutrients and organic matter could be applied to soil. Discusses the methods used to manage characteristics found in potato wastes, such as acidity, moisture, and density. Describes aerating and heating to produce a homogenous mass that results in the nearly complete destruction of common potato pathogens.

Inquiries may be made to Woods End Research Laboratory, Rte. 2, Box 1850, Mt. Vernon, ME 04352.

Title: Conservation Farming: "After the Basics": The Next Steps Forward
Editor: Petheram, R.J.
Publisher: [Horsham, Vic., Australia?]: Wimmera Conservation Farming Association, 1993.
53 p.
NAL Number: S478.A1W56 1993
Annotation: Proceedings of the eighth annual seminar of the Wimmera Conservation Farming Association held at Longerenong, Victoria (Australia) on March 11, 1993. As in the U.S., Australian soil types vary and some of the information provided here may be helpful in the U.S. and Canada. Topics include experiments performed to determine ideal seedbed criteria for direct-drill (no-till) wheat; features of Janke no-till planting points, that allow minimal disturbance of soil and minimum loss of moisture; weed control research; new spray technology; controlled-release herbicides; cropping practices to combat cereal root diseases.

Title: Conservation Policies for Sustainable Hillslope Farming
Editors: Arsyad, Sitanala, et al
Publisher: Ankeny, IA: Soil and Water Conservation Society, 1992. 364 p.
NAL Number: S627.G68C66 1992
Annotation: Based on material presented at a workshop in Indonesia in March 1991. Stresses the importance of hillslopes and other marginal land in a time of increasing population and food shortage. Emphasis is on tropical developing countries. Offers insight into socioeconomic and cultural conditions that often hinder small farmers from implementing new methods in hillside farming; government conservation policies; legal and land tenure issues; and other elements in sustainable use of hillslopes.

Title: Conservation Tillage
Publisher: [s.l.]: Great Plains Agricultural Council, [1990]. 305 p.
NAL Number: S27.A3 no. 131
Annotation: Proceedings of the Great Plains Conservation Tillage Symposium held in Bismarck, ND, August 21-23, 1990. Focus is on the ecosystems and environments of the American Great Plains and Canadian prairies. Papers were presented on a wide range of topics, including: the future of conservation tillage; sustainable cropping systems; decomposing crop residues; dryland agroecosystems; the effect of managed stubble on winter wheat yields; evaluating planting and seeding equipment; the effect of soil moisture (including snow) on managing fertilizers in growing spring and winter wheat; nitrogen management; effects of crop rotation and tillage on soil organic matter; integrated weed management and applications for weed control; movement of nitrates and other agricultural chemicals through soil.

Title: Conservation Tillage in Temperate Agrosystems
Editor: Carter, Martin R.
Publisher: Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers, 1994. 390 p.
NAL Number: S604.C65 1994
Annotation: Commentaries on the development and adaptation of conservation tillage practices in temperate environments from 42 contributors from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. Examines barriers to adopting conservation tillage, such as soil characteristics, biological factors and climate and proposes strategies for overcoming these impediments. Researchers describe the features and experiences of crop performance with reduced tillage in the U.S. (South, Cornbelt, North Central, Pacific Northwest, southern Great Plains), eastern and prairie Canada, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Germany, France, eastern Europe, New Zealand, and the wheat-sheep area of southeastern Australia.

Title: Conservation Tillage Systems and Management: Crop Residue Management with No-till, Ridge-till, Mulch-till
Publisher: Ames, IA: Iowa State University, MidWest Plan Service, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Dept., 1992. MWPS-45. 140 p.
NAL Number: S604.C675 1992
Annotation: A handbook that provides information and research about the elements of conservation tillage, that leaves enough crop residue to protect the soil from erosion throughout the year. Includes methods of estimating residue cover, crop and soil response to tillage systems, cost comparisons, combining conservation tillage with other cropping practices, managing pests and diseases, fertilizing, equipment selection.

Title: Conserving Land: Population and Sustainable Food Production
Authors: Engelman, Robert and Pamela LeRoy
Publisher: Washington, DC: Population Action International, 1995. 48 p.
NAL Number: S604.5.E65
Annotation: Another title in a series that examines the effects of population and development growth, distribution and consumption practices on the world's natural resources. Focuses on the constant challenges to maintain food production for an expanding global population. Some of the disturbing indicators include the general decline of per capita crop production since 1985, dwindling water resources, and the increasing degradation of arable land. Offers statistical profiles of the growth of world population since 1700, the availability of arable land, and projections to the year 2050. Looks at special problems in Africa and China.

Inquiries may be made to Population Action International, Population and Environment Program, 1120 19th St. NW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20036.

*Title: Conserving Soil Resources: European Perspectives
Editor: Rickson, R.J.
Publisher: Wallingford, Oxon, United Kingdom, CAB International, 1994. 425 p.
NAL Number: S622.2.E97 1992
Annotation: Contains selected papers from the First International Congress of the European Society for Soil Conservation held in the U.K. in April 1992. Focus was on research and development concerning soil degradation and soil conservation in Europe, but with the view that results from this congress would also be applicable in other parts of the world. Includes reports on methodologies for measuring and monitoring physical, chemical, and biological degradation of soil; determining the complex processes involved and evaluating protection measures needed to conteract these processes. Provides experiences and research on such topics as the effect on soil from oil-shale mining, abandoned terraces, various cropping systems, and pesticides.

*Title: The Contrary Farmer
Author: Logsdon, Gene
Publisher: White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 1994. 237 p.
NAL Number: S523.L67 1993 (sic)
Annotation: Logsdon promotes what he calls "contrary farming" because its concept, based on "pastoral economics," runs counter to the industrial, large-scale ideology of farming. The author is under no illusions about what contrary farmers are facing. He quotes rather pessimistic observations from several sources: "Historically the trend to larger farmers does not reverse itself." or "Urban and industrial theories and values have supplanted the truer ones of the countryside. ...what survives is mainly a sentimental attachment to country life and gardening." Contrary farmers must work within a "capitalist/socialist economy," but advises separation from it as much as possible. His first principle is to borrow money with extreme caution and preferably not at all -- "There is something incompatible between biological systems and borrowed money...rates of money growth (interest) seldom match rates of biological growth." Pastoral economics means farming small viable units and not depending on farming as the sole means of earning a living, but rather in combination with another career or occupation. Offers perceptive advice on not buying "gadgets;" what equipment is essential (two of the most important are a team of horses and a pickup truck); learning how to fix things and do more for yourself; using water resources and power, pastures, woodlands; and the types of crops most beneficial to small operations. Describes gardening strategies, how to use a wide variety of animal life -- from livestock to fish, bees, earthworms, and even raising birds, dogs, and cats for the pet market. Logsdon's writing is informal, anecdotal, often humorous, and seldom uninteresting.

Title: Controlling Weeds with Fewer Chemicals: How to Cut Your Herbicide Costs and Protect the Environment
Editors: Cramer, Craig, et al
Publisher: Emmaus, PA: Rodale Institute, 1991. 138 p.
NAL Number: SB611.C595 1991
Annotation: This is the fourth in a series of books introducing to farmers proven ideas that can be used in the field. Describes the risks of using herbicides, such as increasing costs, appearance in groundwater, limitation of crop rotation, less effectiveness on some weeds, and legal implications. Features practical, innovative weed management strategies that farmers and researchers have developed. Examines failures as well as successes.

Title: Conversion to Organic Agriculture in Australia: Problems and Possibilities in the Cereal-Livestock Industry
Author: Wynen, Els
Publisher: Sydney, Australia: The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture (Australia), June 1992. 139 p.
NAL Number: S605.5.W96 1992
Annotation: This project, designed to gather information about organic cereal-livestock farming in Australia, analyzes the reasons that caused farmers to convert from conventional to organic agriculture and the methods used. Focuses on problems they encountered in Australia's several climate and soil zones, and, in hindsight, what they might have done differently; the costs of conversion, e.g., capital investment, decreased yields, different machinery, weeds and pests, establishing new markets; the relevance of family, community, and institutional support; and advice for those considering transition.

Title: CRC Handbook of Alternative Cash Crops
Author: Duke, James A. and Judith L. duCellier
Publisher: Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1993. 536 p.
NAL Number: SB111.D85 1993
Annotation: Contains profiles on 130 plant species suggested as alternative crops for the tropics. Each plant profile lists culinary, medicinal, energy and other uses, as well as information on chemistry, physical description, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, and pest control factors.

Title: Creating A Sustainable Food System: Pioneers Tell Their Story
Publisher: St. Paul: Minnesota Food Association, 1992. 87 p.
NAL Number: HD9007.M6C74 1992
Annotation: A survey of 33 Minnesota sustainable food growers, processors and consultants concerning production, marketing and future plans. Includes grain growers, beef, dairy and poultry producers, vegetable and fruit growers, honey and maple syrup producers--their experiences, problems, and views.

Inquiries may be made to Minnesota Food Association, 2395 University Ave., Room 309, St. Paul, MN 55114.

Title: Criteria for Measuring Sustainability of Livestock Production Systems
Authors: de Wit, J. et al
Publisher: Zeist, Netherlands: DLO Research Institute for Animal
Production "Schoonoord", July 1993. Report B-394. 95 p.
NAL Number: 49.9.UT72R no. B-394
Annotation: Looks at the essential elements of sustainability that include livestock in an agricultural system. Considers food shortages, land scarcity, soil degradation, inefficient use of energy, nutrients, water, deforestation, environmental pollution, and decline in biodiversity. Offers methods for modeling and analyzing criteria to determine the sustainability of livestock in different production systems and situations.

Title: Crop Enterprise and Principal Rotation Budgets for Sustainable Agriculture Case Farms in South Dakota
Authors: Becker, David L.; Thomas L. Dobbs; Donald C. Taylor
Publisher: Brookings, SD: South Dakota State University, May 1990. Economics Research Report 90-2. 79 p.
NAL Number: HD1775.S8R47 No. 90-2
Annotation: Report focuses on 12 sustainable farming operations in South Dakota. Describes procedures used in developing budgets based on crop rotations, and costs (operating, fixed, and land). Includes budget spreadsheets and an economic overview of the 12 farms.

Title: Crop Improvement for Sustainable Agriculture
Editors: Callaway, M. Brett and Charles A. Francis
Publisher: Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. 261 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86O97 v.4
Annotation: Volume 4 in the series, Our Sustainable Future. Stresses the importance of plant breeding (including trees for agroforestry) and the need to increase genetic diversity to enhance the efficiency of resource use and to produce plants with higher stress tolerance and resistance to insects, weeds and other pests. Breeding objectives should be built on biological systems that produce crops that are compatible with field environments rather than modifying the environment to fit the requirements of crops. Examines plant breeding objectives, methods and applications and strategies for genetic improvement. Discusses the role of seed companies and biotechnology in contributing to these objectives.

Title: Crop Protection and Sustainable Agriculture
Editors: Chadwick, Derek and Joan Marsh
Publisher: Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, 1993. 285 p.
NAL Number: SB950.A2C76 1993
Annotation: Ciba Foundation Symposium no. 177, World Food Production by Means of Sustainable Agriculture, held Nov. 30 -Dec. 2, 1992, in Madras, India. Includes discussions on methods for decreasing crop damage in both intensive and extensive agricultural systems. Describes surveillance and monitoring techniques for encouraging natural pest predators, biological controls, developing resistant crop varieties, encouraging and assisting farmers to experiment.

Title: Crop Protection in Organic and Low Input Agriculture: Options for Reducing Agrochemical Usage (British Crop Protection Council Monograph No. 45)
Editor: Unwin, Roger
Publisher: Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom: British Crop Protection Council, 1990. 254 p.
NAL Number: SB599.B73
Annotation: Papers from the proceedings of a symposium held at Churchill College, Cambridge, UK, September 4-6, 1990. Provides a view of the research and useful work being done to develop techniques, materials, and alternative approaches for reducing the use of chemicals in agriculture and lessening the risk of reduced crop yield and quality. Includes discussions on weed, pest, and disease control that result from intercropping, cover crops, plant resistance, natural enemies of pests, compost and green manure. Focuses largely on vegetable and cereal crops.

Title: Crop Rotation Studies on the Canadian Prairies
Authors: Campbell, C.A., et al
Publisher: Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Government Publishing Centre, 1990. Agriculture Canada, Research Branch publication 1841/E. 133 p.
NAL Number: 7.C16 Pu No. 1841/E
Annotation: Reviews climatic, physical, and economic conditions in western Canada that have influenced crop selection and management. Describes materials and methods used in crop rotation experiments and their effects on crop production and quality, pests and diseases, soil quality and moisture, economic and energy considerations.

Title: Cropping Systems in Intensive Agriculture
Editor: Djumalieva, D. and Anton Vassilev
Publisher: New Delhi, India: M D Publications, 1993. 214 p.
NAL Number: S602.5.C7713 1993
Annotation: An English translation of a l986 Bulgarian publication. Discusses crop rotations based on ecological conditions; relationship of crop rotation with soil fertility; and protecting plants from diseases, pests and weeds. Includes rotation schemes for cereals, vegetables and tobacco.

Title: Crops Residue Management
Editors: Hatfield, J.L. and B.A. Stewart
Publisher: Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers, 1994. 220 p.
NAL Number: S627.C76C76 1994
Annotation: A title in the series, Advances in Soil Science, collected from material presented at a workshop in Kansas City in 1992. Offers information about residue management strategies in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Great Plains, Southeast, and Northeast. Discusses the benefits of cover crops and rotations, and the influence of crop residues on pest management.


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Title: Defining Sustainable Forestry
Editors: Aplet, Gregory H., et al (Wilderness Society)
Publisher: Washington, DC: Island Press, 1993. 328 p.
NAL Number: SD387.S87D44 1993
Annotation: A collection of papers from a conference held in January 1992, jointly sponsored by the Wilderness Society, American Forests, and World Resources Institute. The conference attempted to create a framework upon which to base future development of forestry. Concluded that there is insufficient understanding of forest ecosystems to accurately define how an ecosystem approach will differ from conventional forest management. Management will require a broader concept of what constitutes a forest ecosystem and must consider the social, economic and political factors that will affect an ecological approach. Topics include exploring the objectives of sustainable forestry; regional approaches to sustainable ecological systems; social and policy considerations.

Title: Delaying the Development of Herbicide Resistant Ryegrass by Using Alternative Weed Control Strategies
Authors: Diggle, A.J.; G.S. Gill; J.E. Holmes
Publisher: South Perth, Western Australia: Western Australia Department of Agriculture, March 1994. 13 p. Miscellaneous publication no. 14/94.
NAL Number: S397.M57
Annotation: Analyzes results of using alternative methods to control ryegrass in wheat-lupin rotations in Western Australia. Discusses and compares rotation schedules, financial costs of controlling ryegrass, and genetic resistance of ryegrass to herbicides.

*Title: Designing Green Support Programs
Editor: Lynch, Sarah
Publisher: Greenbelt, MD: Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, December 1994. Policy Studies Program Report no. 4. 119 p.
NAL Number: HD1765.D47 1994
Annotation: Green Support Programs (GSP) promote farm income and viability while protecting the environment from agricultural pollution. Several options are considered in this report, including incentive payments, price supports, taxes, fines, and other regulatory measures. One option would be a voluntary program providing payments to farmers and owners of farm land as incentives for environmental improvements. Analyzes the objectives, cost-effectiveness, economic and other factors that would influence the design and implementation of a GSP.

Inquiries may be made to Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, 9200 Edmonston Rd., Suite 117, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1551.

Title: Development of Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems in Africa
Author: Okigbo, Bede N.
Publisher: Ibadan, Nigeria: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, 1991. 66 p.
NAL Number: S542.A4055 1991
Annotation: Examines the socioeconomic factors, natural and human resources, and climatic conditions that must be considered in determining the scope and success of sustainable systems in Africa.

Title: Dictionary of Biological Control and Integrated Pest Management
Authors: Coombs, R.F. and S.G. Lisansky
Publisher: Newbury, Berkshire, England: CPL Press, 1993. 174 p.
NAL Number: SB933.3.C65 1993
Annotation: A reference book of insects, microbes, diseases, genetic and other terms that are pertinent to biological control and management of pests and diseases.

Title: Diversity, Farmer Knowledge, and Sustainability
Editor: Moock, Joyce Lewinger and Robert E. Rhoades
Publisher: Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1992. 278 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86M66 1992
Annotation: Focuses on the factors that international researchers need to consider in establishing links between biological science, technology, and indigenous farmer knowledge. Emphasizes the great diversity of farming systems in Asia, Africa and Latin America and attempts to develop criteria for assessing the sustainability of food products with potential for employment and income; developing and conserving natural resources; analyzing economic and social influences.


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Title: Earth User's Guide to Permaculture
Author: Morrow, Rosemary
Publisher: Kenthurst, NSW, Australia: Kangaroo Press, 1993. 152 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.P47M67 1993
Annotation: A guide for implementing permaculture in either an urban or rural setting. Outlines the principles and ecological basis of permaculture. Discusses climate factors and how to accommodate them; soil components and how to improve deficiences; reducing consumption of water, how to trap, store and reuse it; using trees as windbreaks; designing and building a home; planning food gardens and orchards; raising poultry and bees; aquaculture. Examines sustainable systems in different biozones of the world. Considers the social aspects of permaculture including community land use.

Title: Eco-Agriculture: Food First Farming - Theory and Practice
Author: Kiley-Worthington, Marthe
Publisher: London: Souvenir Press, 1993. 276 p.
NAL Number: S439.K54 1993
Annotation: Written by a European who grew up in Africa and became concerned with an ever-expanding global consumer economy that threatens the environment and destroys traditional values. The book ranges from describing damage to the agricultural capabilities of East Africa to experiences in operating an ecological farm in Southeast England. Along the way are observations on the problems of modern agriculture and a misplaced dependence on technology; evaluating ecological agriculture and its chances of success; integrating animals into ecological agriculture; and the historical and cultural roles of women in the production of food. Contains black and white photographs of farming activities.

Title: Ecology and Sustainability of Southern Temperate Ecosystems
Editors: Norton, T.W. and S.R. Dovers
Publisher: Australia: CSIRO, 1994. 133 p.
NAL Number: QH77.A8E36 1994
Annotation: A portion of the book is drawn from selected papers presented at a conference, Southern Temperate Ecosystems: Origins and Diversification, held in January 1993, at the University of Tasmania in Australia. Although based largely on the ecology and forest management practices in southeastern Australia, much of the knowledge and experiences described here may be used in similar climates around the world, including the American Northwest. The various papers deal with sustaining old growth forests; the effects of timber harvesting on wildlife; retaining habitats; global change and monitoring biodiversity; research and sustainable development.

Title: The Economics of Organic Farming: An International Perspective
Editors: Lampkin, N.H. and S. Padel
Publisher:
Wallingford, Oxon, United Kingdom: CAB International, 1994. 468 p.
NAL Number: S605.5.E26 1994
Annotation: Using experiences from Europe, Australia, and North America, the book covers the financial aspects and implications of adopting organic farming practices. Describes the origins, development, and significance of organic farming. Compares conventional, organic, and other alternative agricultural systems. Analyzes the characteristics and performance of organic operations in Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, and the U.S., considering production, income, marketing, social factors, and the effects on land and communities. Devotes considerable attention to the impact government agricultural policies and assistance has had on organic farming in Europe.

Title: Effects of Including Alfalfa in Whole-Farm Plans: Comparison of Conventional, Ridge Till, and Alternative Farming Systems
Authors: Mends, Clarence, and Thomas L. Dobbs
Publisher: Brookings, SD: South Dakota State University, April 1991. Economics Staff Paper 91-1. 21 p.
NAL Number: HD1775.S8E262 No. 91-1
Annotation: Results of research trials that SDSU has been conducting since 1985, comparing conventional, reduced tillage, and low chemical input systems. Conventional and ridge till methods that used rotated corn, soybeans and spring wheat were compared with an alternative method that used rotated oats, alfalfa, soybeans and corn. The alternative farming system was the most profitable in two out of five years and its five-year average profitability was the highest of the three systems. This paper seeks to determine the effect of including alfalfa in conventional and ridge till systems. The alternative system is a four-year rotation that involves no commercial chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Conventional and ridge till systems are three-year rotations in which synthetic chemical fertilizers and herbicides are used.

Title: Enduring Seeds
Author: Habhan, Gary Paul
Publisher: San Francisco: North Point Press, 1989. 225 p.
NAL Number: E98.A3N3
Annotation: A Study of North American Indian agriculture in the tropics and near-tropics of Central America and the southeastern U.S., the drylands of Mexico and the U.S. southwest, the grasslands and woodlands of the upper U.S. and Canada. Promotes the view that the form of Indian agriculture was a connection between local economy and the surrounding ecosystem, meant to ensure cultural stability. Agriculture is "native not merely when native people are the farmers...(but) when a diversity of locally-adapted organisms function within its fields, lending them yield stability and ecological resilience."

Title: Environment and Agriculture: Rethinking Development Issues for the 21st Century: Proceedings of a Symposium in Honor of Robert D. Havener held May 5 and 6, 1993, at Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
Editor: Breth, Steven
Publisher: Morrilton, AR: Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development, 1994. 265 p.
NAL Number: S401.E58 1994
Annotation: Topics include: managing soil and other conditions for achieving a global sustainable agriculture; water resource and conservation strategies; the effect of forest resources on agricultural productivity and environmental quality; wildlife and other ecosystem factors involved in the development of African rangelands; the key role of genetic conservation and biodiversity for future sustainability. Discussions cover cultural, economic, and social implications of development assistance.

Inquiries may be made to Winrock International, Route 3, Box 376, Morrilton, AR 72110-9537.

Title: Environment, Development, Agriculture: Integrated Policy Through Human Ecology
Author: Glaeser, Bernhard
Publisher: London: UCL Press, 1995, 174 p.
NAL Number: HC79.E5G57 1995
Annotation: A philosophical, theoretical, and historical treatment of human ecology. Looks at the ethics of environmental policy, and how human interaction with nature and the environment may be made ecologically sustainable. Reviews environmental policies in Germany and China, and a human ecology approach to sustainable agriculture on several islands off the Indian coast. Concludes with views on the future of agrarian culture and technological development, and strategies for change.

Title: The Environmental Gardener: The Solution to Pollution for Lawns and Gardens
Author: Sombke, Laurence
Publisher: New York: MasterMedia Limited, 1991. 157 p.
NAL Number: SB454.3.E57S25
Annotation: The third volume in a series on environmental pollution, it is a manual for landscaping, lawn care, composting, growing shrubs, trees, fruits and vegetables by using methods that are non-polluting, environmentally sound, and cost effective.

Title: Environmental Indicators for Sustainable Agriculture: Report on a National Workshop, November 28-29, 1991
Editor: Hamblin, Ann
Publisher: Canberra, Australia: Bureau of Rural Resources et al, 1992. 96 p.
NALNumber: S478.A1E58 1992
Annotation: Proceedings of a workshop that defined key indicators for measuring and monitoring trends in sustainability in Australia. These indicators were separated into three broad categories: (1) management, including finance, profitability, planning and operations; (2) production, involving productivity of crops and animals relative to water, nutrients, labor, and other variables; (3) condition of the resource base, consisting of soil fertility, physical condition, biomass, and water quality. Provides an overview of the diverse agro-ecological regions of Australia and discusses methods and criteria for evaluating the sustainability of Australian agriculture.

Title: Environmental Soil Science
Author: Tan, Kim H.
Publisher: New York: Marcel Dekker, 1994. 304 p.
NAL Number: S591.T35 1994
Annotation: Designed as both a reference source for agronomists, environmentalists, foresters and others, and a text for students in soil chemistry, forest resources, and ecology. Examines how the solid, liquid and gas constituents of soil interact with the environment and the role of environmental factors in the formation of different types of soil. Discusses the weathering of primary minerals and formation of clay minerals. Examines organic elements, including acids, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates; soil biomass; beneficial effects of microorganisms in
decomposition, mineralization, carbon and nitrogen cycles; soil aeration; classification of soil water; electrochemical properties of soil solids. Considers the effects of clearing new land, plantation agriculture, agroforestry, organic farming and intensifying soil productivity of crops. Looks at soilless agriculture, such as aquaculture and hydroponics; the impact of agricultural and industrial waste, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and other types of pollution.

Title: Environmentally Compatible Agricultural Development: Resource, Food and Income Security as a Task for Development and Structural Policy
Author: Otzen, Uwe
Publisher: Berlin: German Development Institute, 1992. 59 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86O89 1992
Annotation: Assesses soil and water degration and damage to the international environment caused by growing population, overuse of resources, land tenure systems, trade and commercial systems, industrialization, climatic factors. Defines criteria for ecological changes in agricultural structures; appropriate strategies for stabilizing resources and implementing sound agricultural policies.

Title: Environmentally Sound Agriculture: Proceedings of the Second Conference
Editors: Campbell, Kenneth L.; Wendy D. Graham; A.B. "Del" Bottcher
Publisher: St. Joseph, MI: American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 1994. 578 p.
NAL Number: S589.7E57 1994
Annotation: Papers presented at a conference held April 20-22, 1994, in Orlando, FL. Topics include planning agricultural production systems as ecosystems for sustainability; real estate law--habitat preservation, tax benefits and capitalization available to farmers; preventing water pollution on farms; management technologies; information systems and education; nutrient management; erosion control; water management; pesticide containment; waste management and utilization.

Inquiries may be made to American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659.

Title: Ethics, Public Policy, and Agriculture
Authors: Thompson, Paul B.; Robert J. Matthews; Eileen O. van Ravenswaay
Publisher: New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1994. 268 p.
NAL Number: BJ52.5.T54 1994
Annotation: Discusses the ethical issues involved in several aspects of agriculture and public policy, such as resource management, food production, distribution and consumption. Examines criteria for analyzing social ethics and public policy; factors involved in determining food safety policy (reviews the Alar debate); goals of environmental policy; farm animal welfare; foreign agricultural assistance; views of sustainable agriculture (including a critique of the ideas of Wes Jackson and Miguel Altieri); agrarian traditionalism and the future of the family farm.

Title: Evaluation for Sustainable Land Management in the Developing World
Editors: Dumanski, J. et al
Publisher: Bangkok, Thailand: International Board for Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM), 1991. 3 vols., 81 p., 631 p., 140 p.
NAL Number: HD1131.I57 1991
Annotation: Proceedings of an IBSRAM workshop held at Chiang Rai, Thailand, Sept. 15-21, 1991. Objectives were to develop concepts for evaluating sustainable land management, prepare and test a framework for sustainable land management. Most of the technical papers deal with Asian or African experiences. Topics include agroclimatic guidelines, environmental aspects, genetic resources, soil and water management, livestock and food production, economic and social aspects, methods for measuring the sustainability of managed ecosystems, research needs and forecasting future production.

Title: Extending Sustainable Systems
Publisher: [St. Paul, MN]: Minnesota State Department of Agriculture; University of Minnesota, 1990. 343 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86E98 1990
Annotation: Presentations from a conference held on May 9-10, 1990. Includes papers on dryland legume-cereal rotations; the profitability and economics of alternative farming systems; using nonconventional soil additives such as limestone, rock phosphate, ground mineral deposits, composted organic materials, sulfates, humates, kelp, alcohol and ether compounds; biological and microbial stimulants; tillage systems; intensive rotational grazing with dairy herds; sustainable production of swine; non-chemical weed control in corn and soybeans; research on weed management; the process of converting from conventional to sustainable agriculture.

Title: Extension and Education Materials for Sustainable Agriculture
Editors: King, James W. and Charles A. Francis
Publisher: Lincoln, NE: Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Nebraska, 1994. 390 p. in 2 vols.
NAL Number: S441.E98 1994 v.1; v.2
Annotation: As the title indicates, this is a set of teaching materials and suggested curricula primarily for faculty and extension workers. It is a guide to presenting and discussing the primary topics and issues in sustainable agriculture, including the design of cropping systems, weed management, soil fertility, biodiversity, economics, leases and tenant agreements for converting to sustainable agriculture, cooperation between producers and environmentalists, and the relationship between sustainability and rural communities. Uses case studies and a variety of sources to assist the educator.

Inquiries may be made to Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0940.

Title: Extensive and Organic Livestock Systems: Animal Welfare Implications
Publisher: South Mimms, Hertfordshire, England: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, 1993. 123 p.
NAL Number: HV4757.E98 1993
Annotation: Proceedings of a symposium organized by the Federation and the Humane Slaughter Association, held at Cirencester, England on Sept. 10 and 11, 1990. Although mostly a reflection of British experience, much of the material provided may have a wider application. Topics include organic farming in the UK and the role of livestock; poultry, dairy farming, beef production, pigs, sheep, health and disease, rare and traditional livestock breeds, mobile slaughterhouses.


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*Title: Family Agriculture: Tradition and Transformation
Author: Francis, David G.
Publisher: London: Earthscan Publications, 1994. 228 p.
NAL Number: HD1476.A3F73 1994
Annotation: A look at the economic and social roles of family farming around the world and the effects of pressure that large-scale agriculture is exerting on the family farm. Analyzes the values that family agriculture contributes "...as an organizational structure, not a ...small size production unit." Suggests that family agriculture finds it increasingly difficult to compete with industrialized farming in the accumulation of wealth, modernization, and economic growth. The conflict is often between profit and preservation. The author does not believe that family agriculture should be maintained simply for historic or nostalgic reasons, but because it seems to be the best organization for "protecting national agricultural resources." Demonstrates how technology and information systems can contribute to the survival of family farming in both developed and developing countries.

Title: Farm Program Flexibility Options and Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Dobbs, Thomas L. and David L. Becker
Publisher: Brookings, SD: South Dakota State University, September 1991. Economics Research Report 91-9. 42 p.
NAL Number: HD 1775.S8R47 No. 91-9
Annotation: Another in a series of SDSU reports on implications for conventional and sustainable farming systems of public policy options. Describes three proposals that were introduced in Congress during debates on the 1990 Farm Bill--Normal Crop Acreage (NCA) program, Triple Base program, and Integrated Farm Management Program Option (IFMPO). Analyzes the effects of each program on ten farms (five conventional and five sustainable) selected from different areas in South Dakota. Provides textual, graphic and tabular analyses of gathered data. Concludes that the NCA program may encourage more sustainable farming. Triple Base program does not greatly affect profitability and probably would do little to encourage adoption of sustainable agriculture. IFMPO generally causes a decrease in net income for conventional farms in corn-soybean areas and an increase for the single wheat growing conventional farm. IFMPO has potential for encouraging transition to sustainable systems in some areas.

Title: Farmer First: Farmer Innovation and Agricultural Research
Editors: Chambers, Robert; Arnold Pacey; Lori Ann Thrupp
Publisher: New York: The Bootstrap Press, 1989. 218 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.I5F37
Annotation: Published discussions among natural and social scientists at a workshop held at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, UK, in July 1987. Focuses on the substantial problems for resource-poor farmers in the Third World. Discusses the successes and failures of farmers' innovations and the often antithetical relationship between farmers' practices and the attitudes of scientists. Includes views on encouraging and teaching farmers small-scale experimentation; on-farm research; farmer participation in technology development; organizing farmers groups and workshops; the role of institutions in practical change.

Title: Farmer Participation in Research for Sustainable Agriculture
Editor: Rogers, Julie
Publisher: Fayetteville, AR: Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), 1990. 91 p.
NAL Number: S540.O53F3
Annotation: Conference sponsored by the Arkansas/Oklahoma Sustainable Agriculture Network in Fayetteville, AR, October 8, 1989. Topics include on-farm research methodologies, farmer participation in determining the land-grant agenda, planning and funding on-farm research. Includes an update on the USDA Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) program.

Available for purchase from ATTRA, PO Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702.

Title: Farming and Clean Water: A Community Action Guide
Publisher: [Minnesota]: The Minnesota Project/the Midwest Consortium on Groundwater and Farm Chemicals, March 1993. 110 p.
NAL Number: TD427.A35F37 1993
Annotation: Explains the principles of sustainable agriculture and how these contribute to the protection of groundwater. Defines a Special Protection Area (SPA) as a region with groundwater or surface water pollution from farming and strategies for communities, associations, and individuals to pursue in combating the problem. Offers ideas for community decision making and how to effect change; what information and research is required, such as analyzing the hydrogeology of the area, water quality, pollution sources, types of farms in the area, public agencies and non-government organizations that are involved in groundwater protection. Suggests educational, regulatory, and motivational approaches. Contains a directory of organizations that may be contacted for information and government agencies in each state responsible for groundwater.

Title: Farming for Profit and Stewardship: Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific Northwest
Editors: Granatstein, David and Elizabeth Kirby
Publisher: Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Department of Agronomy and Soils, June 1990. 71 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86T7 1989
Annotation: Focuses on farming systems east of the Cascade Mountains in both irrigated and dryland areas. Irrigated areas grow a wide variety of crops and face problems with energy costs, groundwater contamination, and pest control. In dryland areas, where small grain production predominates, soil conservation and moisture management pose the biggest challenges for sustainability. Researchers, extension workers and farmers discuss concerns for a safe, high-quality food supply and practical, profitable farming strategies and techniques that protect the environment.

Title: Farming for the Future: An Introduction to Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Reijntjes, Coen; Bertus Haverkort; Ann Waters-Bayer
Publishers: London: Macmillan Press; Leusden, Netherlands: Information Centre for Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture (ILEIA), 1992. 250 p.
NAL Number: S481.R45 1992
Annotation: Of primary interest to those working in rural development and researchers interested in the Third World. It was written as a general introduction and not a training manual. Although most of the research and experiences presented here come from the tropics, much of it has a wider application. An important objective is to determine how development workers can assist small-scale farmers in generating techniques and innovations to obtain sufficient yields without depleting local resources. The book opens with background information about basic trends in tropical agriculture - excessive use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, fossil fueled machinery, questionable irrigation schemes; overuse of marginal land that leads to erosion and depletion of resources. Attention is given to how and why farmers make the decisions they do. Gives examples of local farming systems and opportunities for innovation. Describes the basic principles of low-external-input sustainable agriculture and ways to develop these concepts in the tropics. Makes wide use of field experiences and options that are available.

Title: Farming in Nature's Image: An Ecological Approach to Agriculture
Authors: Soule, Judith D. and Jon K. Piper (of The Land Institute); with a foreword by Wes Jackson
Publisher: Washington, DC: Island Press, 1992. 286 p.
NAL Number: S441.S757
Annotation: Describes the extent of pollution, erosion, contamination, soil and water depletion, and other ecological damage caused by conventional agriculture, and the resulting economic and social problems on farms and in rural communities. Views the present situation as a crisis that stems from the industrialization of agriculture by mechanization, extensive use of chemicals, genetic uniformity of crops, and a general trend that works against nature. Stresses the importance of adopting an ecological approach based on natural cycles, interaction, and a long-term perspective. Focuses on the significance of natural ecosystems for sustainable agriculture, using the prairie ecosystem as a model. Discusses incentives and forces that are necessary to sustainability.

Title: Farming More Sustainably in the South: Nine Farmers' Stories
Editors: Richards, Keith and Janet Bachmann
Publisher: [s.l.]: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, January 1994. 30 p.
NAL Number: S445.F47 1994
Annotation: Profiles of diverse sustainable farming operations that include dairying in South Carolina, growing cotton without chemicals in Tennessee and Texas, raising sugarcane and soybeans in Louisiana, growing flowers and herbs for market in Arkansas, a Mississippi farmer's integrated livestock-crop operation, raising pumpkins in Oklahoma, and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project in Alabama.

Title: Farming Systems for Iowa: Seeking Alternatives: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture 1990 Conference Proceedings
Publisher: Ames, IA: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 1990. 112 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86F37 1990
Annotation: Papers presented at the first conference of the Leopold Center held at Iowa State University in Ames, February 6-7, 1990. Focuses on sustainable agriculture as a means to benefit farmers and the environment. Topics include: intensive rotational grazing of livestock; year-round foraging for cows; sustainable production of swine; strip intercropping; benefits to wildlife; research in sustainable practices that are profitable to the grower and helpful to the environment. Also offers a summary of the history and purpose of the Leopold Center and its role in promoting sustainable agriculture in Iowa.

Inquiries may be made to Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 126 Soil Tilth Bldg., Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.

Title: Fertile Soil: A Grower's Guide to Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers (2nd ed.)
Author: Parnes, Robert
Publisher: Davis, CA: agAccess, 1990. 190 p.
NAL Number: S633.P33 1990
Annotation: An expanded version of the original 1986 edition, titled Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers, this is a comprehensive guide to creating productive soil by using balanced fertilization. Reviews key elements of soil fertility, provides detailed information on using organic and inorganic fertilizers. Includes nutrient contents of fertilizers, organic materials, and compost; estimating fertilizer requirements for grains and vegetables; using manures; fertilizing value of cover crops.

Title: Financing Alternative Agriculture: Model State Initiatives for Financing Conversion to Alternative Agricultural Practices
Author: Boller, Timothy
Publisher: Washington, DC: Center for Policy Alternatives, June 1994. 14 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.A65B65 1994
Annotation: Proposes several model programs for states to consider in encouraging and assisting farmers to convert from conventional to alternative agriculture. These programs address the financial obstacles that farmers face when considering conversion. The proposals include issuing bonds and taxing agricultural chemicals to finance loans for agricultural operations that are economically and ecologically sound; and leasing suitable state-owned land for sustainable farming. Includes a suggested amendment to Missouri's Linked Deposit Law, legislation designed to enable farmers to borrow funds for the implementation and enhancement of environmentally sound agricultural operations.

Inquiries may be made to Center for Policy Alternatives, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20009.

Title: Fit for a Pig: Low-cost/Sustainable Strategies of Resourceful Hog Farmers
Author: Gralla, Shawn
Publisher: Hartington, NE: Beginning Farmer Support Network, Center for Rural Affairs, [1991?]. 46 p.
NAL Number: SF395.G73 1991
Annotation: Promotes the concept that hog production is an effective means for beginning farmers to build equity with relatively low to medium capital investment. Relates low-cost practices used by successful hog farmers in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. Topics include feeding systems, buildings, equipment, breeding stock.

Inquiries may be made to Beginning Farmer Support Network, Center for Rural Affairs, Box 736, Hartington, NE 68739.

*Title: Food, Agriculture, and Rural Policy into the Twenty-First Century: Issues and Trade-Offs
Editors:
Hallberg, Milton C.; Robert G.F. Spitze; Daryll E. Ray
Publisher: Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994. 406 p.
NAL Number: HD9006.F56 1994
Annotation: Includes articles by 47 contributors primarily on U.S. public policy issues regarding land use, water, sustainable agriculture, commodity supply and price stability, domestic and international food aid programs, trade agreements, rural development, research, and education in the U.S. Offers an overview of both the U.S. and international agricultural economy and the structure of agricultural production and processing.

Title: Food for the Future: Conditions and Contradictions of Sustainability
Editor: Allen, Patricia
Publisher: New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1993. 328 p.
NAL Number: HD1415.F633 1993
Annotation: A discussion of the social, ethical, economic and political aspects of sustainability by 15 leading contributors, including Miguel Altieri, Kenneth Dahlberg, Carolyn Sachs, Neill Schaller, Garth Youngberg. Explores approaches to understanding and developing sustainability, barriers facing sustainability, the potential and limitations of sustainable systems.

Title: Food from Dry Lands: An Integrated Approach to Planning of Agricultural Development
Editors: Alberda, Th. et al
Publisher: Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1992. 211 p.
NAL Number: S613.F57 1992
Annotation: Volume 1 in the series, Systems Approaches for Sustainable Agricultural Development. From experiences and data gained in the semiarid regions of Israel agro-pastoral systems were designed that include grazing and pastures; moisture, nutrients and plant production; sheep raising; cropping; economic elements.

*Title: For All Generations: Making World Agriculture More Sustainable
Editors: Madden, J. Patrick and Scott G. Chaplowe
Publisher: Glendale, CA: OM Publishing, 1997. 642 p.
NAL Number: (being processed)
Annotation: A publication of the World Sustainable Agriculture Association, that includes contributions, in addition to Madden and Chaplowe, from Frederick Kirschenmann, Bruce H. Moore, Roger Blobaum, Joan D. Gussow, William D. Heffernan, Peter Rottach, and the late Robyn Van En. Based on the belief that "...healthy soil is the foundation of civilization." and "...sustainable agriculture is both necessary and attainable." , the book means to encourage a worldwide movement to achieve food security and sustainable civilization. Revisits the major problems produced by intensive industrial agriculture e.g., degradation of soil and resources; the untoward social consequences of concentrated land ownership, the disappearance of smaller producers, the exodus of people from rural areas, and declining communities. Discusses the concentration and domination of markets by multinational corporations; the role of organic farming in international sustainable agriculture; model sustainable programs that have been developed and used worldwide. Includes an extensive roster of organizations around the world that are promoting and implementing the transition to sustainable agriculture, their particular goals and special areas of interest, addresses and contact information. Provides a glossary of terms relevant to sustainable agriculture and a subject index, most helpful in a book of this size.

Inquiries may be made to World Sustainable Agriculture Association Publications, 8554 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069; fax (310) 657-3884; e-mail <WSAA@compuserve.com>.

Title: Forage Based Farming, Manure Handling and Farm Composting
Author: Koepf, Herbert H.
Publisher: East Troy, WI: Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Bulletin no. 4, 1993. 48 p.
NAL Number: S494.5.S86M53 Bulletin no. 4
Annotation: Selected proceedings from a conference held at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute on March 18, 1993, that dealt with maintaining sustainable productive and viable farms. Includes lectures on improving grass foraging for livestock, particularly dairy cattle; manure management and processing that include using combined solid manure and slurry systems; and use of rotational grazing with dairy herds.

Inquiries may be made to Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Inc., W2493 County Road ES, East Troy, WI 53120.

Title: The Fourth No-Till Q & A Book
Editor: Lessiter, Frank
Publisher: Brookfield, WI: Lessiter Publications, 1993. 48 p.
NAL Number: S604.N675 1993
Annotation: An updated edition to this series. Includes 184 questions asked of experts at the National No-Tillage Conference about planting, drilling, fertilization, weeds, insects, cover crops, managing residue, corn and soybeans.

Title: From A to Z in Sustainable Agriculture: A Curriculum Directory for Grades K-12
Publisher: Burlington, VT: Center for Sustainable Agriculture, University of Vermont, 1995. 117 p.
NAL Number: not in NAL collection
Annotation: A directory of "resources and contacts for educating youth about sustainable agriculture, food and fiber systems, natural resources, and their connections to our communities." A guide to teaching materials, including videos, books, lesson plans, and catalogs that will assist in helping students understand the allied topics in sustainable agriculture. Materials cover agribusiness, apiculture, apple production, aquaculture, biological agriculture, raising sheep and chickens, soils, composting, solid wastes, dairy industry, ecology, energy, conservation, nutrition, pest management, and maple sugar production. Each entry provides a brief description of the item and where it may be obtained. Provides an index to materials for each grade level. Also includes a listing of information centers where additional materials are available.

Inquiries may be made to Center for Sustainable Agriculture, University of Vermont, 590 Main St., Burlington, VT 05405-0059; or by contacting Elizabeth Seyler: eseyler@moose.uvm.edu or (802) 656-0827.

Title: From Land to Mouth: Understanding the Food System (2nd ed.)
Author: Kneen, Brewster
Publisher: Toronto: NC Press, 1993. 223 p.
NAL Number: HD9000.5.K526 1993
Annotation: Originally published in 1989, this revised and expanded edition describes how the global food system functions and how it might function. Includes everything from farm suppliers to retail outlets, from farmer to consumer, and the integration of production, processing and distribution. Looks at the cultural aspects and logic of a food system that provides abundance for the wealthy while producing hunger and ecological disaster. Proposes the creation of local sustainable food systems founded on justice and a sense of community.

Title: From the Good Earth: A Celebration of Growing Food Around the World
Author: Ableman, Michael
Publisher: New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1993. 168 p.
NAL Number: SB175.A25 1993
Annotation: With a foreword by Wes Jackson. A wide ranging photographic essay, with accompanying text, of contrasting farm operations. Includes chemical-free and other ventures in California, peasant plots and indigenous crops in Peru; intercropping and traditional methods in China; farming for export and survival in Africa; Hopi cultivation in the Arizona desert; Sicilian traditional farming. Looks at environmental and human health and pesticides; urban gardening; how food is marketed locally around the world. Considerable attention is given to sustainable agriculture.

Title: From the Ground Up: Rethinki