Choosing the Road to Sustainability:
General Overview of Sustainable Agriculture
Toward Sustainable Agriculture: A Guide for Hawaii's Farmers (downloadable .pdf): General Introduction to sustainable agriculture for Hawai'i.
Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture (SARE), Available in both html and Adobe Acrobat versions, this is a great introduction to the concept of sustainable agriculture (what is sustainability, elements of sustainability) with ten excellent case studies (farmer profiles) to illustrate how these concepts can be applied.
What is Sustainable Agriculture? ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas). The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is a very comprehensive source of information about all aspects of sustainable agriculture. Major topic areas include: what is sustainable agriculture, horticultural crops, field crops, soils and compost, pest management, organic farming, livestock, marketing and business, energy and agriculture, education, resources.
Sustainable Agriculture in Hawaii, UH CTAHR website for local sustainable ag information and resources.
Start2Farm: USDA Program for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Profiles in Sustainable Agriculture (Beginning Farmer Case Studies), a series of videos by the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture.
The New American Farmer (SARE), a collection of 50 in-depth interviews with farmers and ranchers which illustrate the great variety of production methods and the marketing creativity of sustainable farming operations thriving around the country.
The New Farm: Farmer-to-Farmer Know-How from the Rodale Institute, The Rodale Institute's farming website features information, articles, products and services for “regenerative agriculture.” The Rodale Institute works worldwide to achieve a regenerative food system that renews the earth. Their activities include research, training, workshops, and information dissemination. See on-line bookstore.
Acres USA, A Voice for Eco-Agriculture, describes itself as a national magazine devoted to sustainable agriculture. Their on-line catalogue features a wide array of publications relating to alternative agriculture.
Exploring the Small Farm Dream: Is Starting an Agricultural Business Right for You? Description and ordering information about a self-study guide from the New England Small Farm Institute.
The SARE Program (episode 9) (streaming video by USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service) gives several examples of how farmers are changing their production strategies to benefit the environment and improve their income sources. Includes footage about a rotational grazing system being used at a dairy farm, direct seeding for wheat production, a deep bedding system for swine production, and introducing and marketing new plant products in New England.
These webpages were originally generated under a grant program from Western SARE entitled "New Farmers: Choosing the Road Less Traveled" EW03-002 (2004-2006). Toward Sustainable Agriculture (downloadable .pdf)