Winner of the Willie Lee Rose Prize from the Southern Association for Women Historians In the years after World War I, Southern farm women found their world changing. A postwar plunge in farm prices stretched into a twenty-year agricultural depression and New Deal programs eventually transformed the economy. Many families left their land to make way for larger commercial farms. New industries and the intervention of big government in once insular communities marked a turning point in the struggle of upcountry women—forcing new choices and the redefinition of traditional ways of life. Melissa Walker's All We Knew Was to Farm draws on interviews, archives, and family and government records to reconstruct the conflict between rural women and bewildering and unsettling change. Some women adapted by becoming partners in farm operations, adopting the roles of consumers and homemakers, taking off-farm jobs, or leaving the land. The material lives of rural upcountry women improved dramatically by midcentury—yet in becoming middle class, Walker concludes, the women found their experiences both broadened and circumscribed.

The no-nonsense, practical guide for farm-preneurs to grow a successful farm business – completely revised and updated You launched your farm because you love working the land and producing food. Yet to succeed you also need to think like an entrepreneur. The Farmer's Office, Second Edition is your must-have toolkit for starting and growing a sustainable agricultural business. Written by a consultant and entrepreneur who has supported hundreds of farm-preneurs, this essential resource is fully revised and updated to empower readers to make sound decisions and manage their farm business for success. Topics include: How to write a business plan for a new or growing venture Detailed descriptions of accounting and business concepts Setting up and using QuickBooks for day-to-day sales and expense tracking, as well as for more complex tasks such as budgeting, cash flow analysis, cost accounting; reading financial statements Leveraging financial information to refine operations, improve profits, and develop strategies for growth Accessing financing and managing debt Adapting to external shocks and learning to pivot Planning for business growth and expansion Understanding mental blocks that can limit an entrepreneur's success. Enhanced with detailed case studies of real farm businesses, The Farmer's Office, Second Edition is your personal business coach, providing guidance for all the business skills needed to succeed as a businessperson in a competitive and rapidly changing world.

There is a growing demand for organic produce, and this book explores the value-adding benefits of organic practices in farming, economically and environmentally. With a scientific background and a wide range of real world case studies, this book will help you consider different methods of organic farming and how to implement them. It will show you how to farm in a way that cares for the environment, without using synthetic chemicals. Includes sections on composting, earthworms, managing pests and diseases, converting to organics and certification. Other titles in this series: Organic Farming: Crops, Fruits and Vegetables Organic Farming: Livestock Table of Contents: Introduction to organic farming Converting to organics Soil fertility Composting Earthworms Compost worms Certification Glossary Useful contacts.