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North Carolina Agriculture: A Research Guide

Browse by Publication Type Library of Congress Subject Headings | Reference Resources Clipping Files | Maps | Periodicals Browse by Subject African Americans | Animal Husbandry | Crops and Floriculture | Education Farmers' Markets and Agritourism | History | North Carolina State University North Carolina State Fair | Plantation Life | Politics and Unions Slavery and Agriculture | Tobacco Women and Agriculture

This guide is designed to assist researchers in investigating the subject of agriculture in North Carolina. It covers the pre-colonial era to the 20th century and contains subtopics such as women in agriculture, farmers' markets, and the North Carolina State Fair. This guide does not include all of the titles about North Carolina agriculture in the collection, but is intended to provide good starting points for research. Please keep in mind that some items are still only in our in-house card catalog and have not been entered into our online catalog yet. This pathfinder was prepared by Erin Griffin in the fall of 2009.

The items in our collection are categorized by subject headings from the Library of Congress. Here are some main subject headings for agriculture in North Carolina. To use these headings, click on the links below. You can also go to our online catalog and type any of the following in the "Words in Subject Heading" field on the left-hand side of the page.

Agriculture--North Carolina
Agriculture--North Carolina--History
Agriculture--North Carolina--[insert county name here]
Agriculture--North Carolina--Newspapers
Agriculture--Economic aspects--North Carolina
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Indians of North America--North Carolina--History
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Natural foods--North Carolina
Organic farming--North Carolina
Farmers' markets--North Carolina
Farm produce--North Carolina
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Rural women--North Carolina
Women in agriculture--North Carolina
Women in rural development--North Carolina--History
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Crops and climate--North Carolina
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Farms--North Carolina--History
Plantation life--North Carolina--History
Farm life--North Carolina--Rural conditions
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Tobacco--North Carolina--History
Tobacco industry--North Carolina
Cotton--North Carolina
Swine--North Carolina
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North Carolina State Fair--History
Fairs--North Carolina
Agricultural exhibitions--North Carolina
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Slaves--North Carolina--Social conditions
Slavery--North Carolina--History
Plantation life--North Carolina--History
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African Americans--North Carolina--[insert county name here]
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North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts--History
Agricultural colleges--North Carolina--History
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North Carolina Farmers' Alliance--History
Populist Party (N.C.)--History

N.C. Agriculture Home

Want a general overlook of North Carolina agriculture, or not sure where to get started? Take a look at these three resources, all available in the North Carolina Collection Reading Room.

• Powell, William S., ed. Encyclopedia of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006. CR903 E56n

  Notable sections: "Agriculture," "Hog Farming," "North Carolina Farmer's Association," "Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of," "Sharecropping," "Slavery." Check the index for other specific subjects about North Carolina agriculture.

• Walker, Melissa, and James C. Cobb. The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Agriculture and Industry. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2006. C917 E56w 2006 v. 11

  This encyclopedia contains extensive information about agriculture in the South. Look at "North Carolina" in the index for sections on Christmas tree farms, peanuts, poultry, tobacco, migrant labor, and other aspects of agriculture in North Carolina. There is also a section about women and agriculture at the beginning of the book.

  • Abramson, Ruby, and Haskell, Jean, eds. Encyclopedia of Appalachia. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 2006. CR971.05 E56a

    In the section "Agriculture," there is information about migrant workers, Native American farming, farming products, Christmas tree farms, and agricultural cooperatives, to name a few. This encyclopedia concentrates on general trends of Appalachia rather than North Carolina specifically.

Clipping Files

The NCC has collected numerous clippings about agriculture in North Carolina. To access the subject index of these clippings, click here. Look under "agriculture" for different subjects related to agriculture. Also see "farmland," "cotton," and "tobacco." Information is sorted by town name as well. The volumes to these clippings are available in the reading room. Clippings after 1989 are not bound yet, so ask for these at the reference desk.

N.C. Agriculture Home

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• Hillard, Sam Bowers. Atlas of Antebellum Southern Agriculture. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1984. C912 H65a

  This is an excellent source of maps presenting information about atmosphere, population, livestock, and crops in the antebellum South. Information is broken down by state and county. There are several maps about slave populations as well.

• North Carolina Soil Maps. United States Bureau of Soils and North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

  The United States Bureau of Soils and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture began taking formal surveys of North Carolina Soil in the late 1800s. There is at least one soil map for every county. These maps show soil types, as well as landmarks such as roads, railroads, houses, and churches. You can also look at physical copies of these maps. To find them, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance, or type "Soil surveys--North Carolina--[county name]" in the "Subject Headings" search box on the Advanced Search page.

N.C. Agriculture Home

• Directory: A Consumer's Guide to North Carolina's Finest Home Grown Fruits, Vegetables, and Other "Down Home Products": Where to Find Pick-Your-Own Farms, Roadside Markets, Farmers' Markets. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Agriculture, 1995. A9 15: D59 [microfiche serial]

• Progressive Farmer. FC630.5 P96 [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings from 1886 to the present under different titles and in microfilm. If you need help locating a year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  Founded in 1886 by Leonidas L. Polk to educate farmers about agricultural advances, this newspaper contains advice columns, advertisements, predictions about crops, electricity, leisure, etc. and is not exclusively geared toward North Carolina. Polk encouraged farmers to organize in the paper, reflecting a trend that would begat the Farmers' Alliance, Industrial Union, and Southern Farmers' Alliance. The newspaper has changed titles numerous times over the years. To look at the other titles, click on the above "Progressive Farmer" link to see the catalog record. Click on the "Description" tab, and the title that immediately follows this one is listed under "Later Title."

• Carolina/Virginia Farmer. C630.5 C292c [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings from 1980 to the present under different titles and in microfilm. If you need help locating a year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  This newspaper showcases families, events, and business news about farms around North Carolina and Virginia. Earlier titles concentrate exclusively on North Carolina. Look at the January issues for an official guide to the Southern Farm Show. To look at the titles from other years, click on the above link to see the catalog record. Click on the "Description" tab, and the title that immediately follows this one is listed under "Later Title."

• North Carolina Weather and Crops Report. United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

  This is an online resource from the National Agriculture Statistics Service page. You can search statistics, charts and maps about North Carolina agriculture.

Periodicals Published by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture

The North Carolina Collection has different bulletins that the North Carolina Department of Agriculture has published over the years: pesticide reports, fertilizer reports, land utilization reports, etc. Here are some highlights of what the Department publishes--a good place to get started. A complete list of serials published by the NCDA in our collection can be found here.

• North Carolina Agricultural Statistics. FC630.5 N87a2 [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings from 1940 to 2001. Later years are at the Davis Library Reference Desk. The latest statistics are also available at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website here.

  This is a good resource that is published annually. It contains statistics about livestock, dairy, poultry, weather summaries, crops, income, prices, chemical and fertilizer usage, real estate values, etc. Organized by year and by county.

• North Carolina Agricultural Review. FC630.5 A27 [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings from 1926 to the present. If you need help locating a year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  A newspaper containing classifieds for animals, supplies, etc., "Bucolic Briefs" about events around North Carolina, "Agrotips," and winning recipes from the State Fair.

N.C. Agriculture Home

Much of the information about African Americans and agriculture can be found in general histories of agriculture, as well as general histories of African Americans in North Carolina. Here are three resources about African American farmers in North Carolina and the prejudices they faced in addition to hardships as tenant farmers.

• Hinton, Robert. The Politics of Agricultural Labor: From Slavery to Freedom in a Cotton Culture, 1862-1902. New York: Garland Publishing, 1997. C677 H66p.

  This book in the Garland Studies in The History of American Labor series discusses the transformation of cotton plantations on the Tar River after the Civil War. It focuses mainly on the destruction of slavery, the transition to free labor, sharecropping, and the eventual triumph of white supremacy.

• When the Only Way Out is Up. Hampton, VA: Hampton Institute Press, 1924 Cp971.92 W56

  A pamphlet chronicling how African American farmers in Wake County advanced themselves despite obstacles.

• Wilkerson, Doxey Alphonso. Agricultural Services among Negroes in the South. The Conference of Presidents of Negro Land Grant Colleges, 1942. C092 S68 reel 2, item 19 [microfilm]

  A pamphlet arguing that services need to be offered to African Americans just as much as white farmers and that agents aren't giving African American farmers equal time. Contains statistics from across the South.

N.C. Agriculture Home

For general information about these industries, see our section of periodicals published by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture here. They contain statistics about livestock, dairy, poultry, weather summaries, crops, income, prices, chemical and fertilizer usage, real estate values, etc. Organized by year and by county.

• North Carolina Dairy Extension Newslettter. Raleigh: Agricultural Extension Service, North Carolina State University. C637 D13e [year].
  Note: This title runs from 1951 to 1994. If you need help finding a particular year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  This monthly newsletter contains how-to articles written by doctors such as "Guard Against Bloat," local news, cartoons, and a calendar of events.

North Carolina is second in the nation in hog production. Here are some primary and secondary resources about this important aspect of agriculture in North Carolina.

• Thompson, Michael D. High on the Hog: Swine as Culture and Commodity in Eastern North Carolina. Oxford, OH: Miami University Dissertation, 2000. C636.4 T474h

  This dissertation is a history of swine in North Carolina with an emphasis on eastern North Carolina. It also contains information about the evolution of swine husbandry in the state and a bibliography.

• Thompson, Michael D. "Everything but the Squeal: Pork as Culture in Eastern North Carolina." North Carolina Historical Review, 2005. Cp970 N87hi v. 82, no. 4

  This essay contains information about slaves and pork, the history of pork in the diets of North Carolinians, and the state's dependence on pork in the 20th century. Also contains a bibliography.

• McMillan, Marybe. "Your Freedom Ends Where My Nose Begins": Conflicting Views of Large-Scale Hog Farms in Eastern North Carolina. Raleigh: North Carolina State University Dissertation, 2000. C636.4 M167y

  This dissertation contains statistics and information about the hog industry and hog farming in North Carolina. It also contains a bibliography. It discusses the public opposition to the large-scale farming industry in eastern North Carolina and the different activist groups involved, including African American groups.

• N.C. Pork Report: A Newsletter for the Members of the N.C. Pork Council. Raleigh: The Council, 1997-present. C636.4 N87n [year]

  This is a magazine published by the North Carolina Pork Council with recipes, advertisements, people, pork industry group report, legislative report, and veterinary advice. The magazine is currently received, but not all issues are bound. The NCC has holdings beginning at 1997.

N.C. Agriculture Home

For a general overview of any of these industries, look in any of our reference resources. For statistics about these crops, by year and by county, see our list of periodicals published by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture in this pathfinder here.

• Daniel, Pete. Breaking the Land: The Transformation of Cotton, Tobacco, and Rice Cultures Since 1880. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1985. C630.9 D18b

  Look at the chapter entitled "The Southern Enclosure," which covers these industries in the South. Discusses farming methods of tobacco. Includes a bibliography and index.

• Hinton, Robert. The Politics of Agricultural Labor: From Slavery to Freedom in a Cotton Culture, 1862-1902. New York: Garland Publishing, 1997. C677 H66p.

  This book in the "Garland Studies in The History of American Labor" series discusses the transformation of cotton plantations on the Tar River after the Civil War. It focuses mainly on the destruction of slavery, the transition to free labor, sharecropping, and the eventual triumph of white supremacy.

• North Carolina Cotton Grower. North Carolina Cotton Growers Co-operative Association. FFC633 N87c [year].
  Note: The NCC has holdings of this periodical from 1923 to 1933.

  Editorials, local and national news, information about pertinent legislation, and how-to guides.

North Carolina Christmas tree production ranks second in the nation, behind Oregon. Here are some resources about this industry.

• Limbs & Needles. North Carolina Christmas Tree Association. C634.9 L733n [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings from 1989 to 2005. If you need help locating a year or issue, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  This periodical was published three times per year and contains informatino about the industry, legislative updates, new products on the market, and photographs of members.

• North Carolina Choose and Cut Christmas Tree Guide. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
  Note: The NCC also has physical copies of this guide from 2002 to the present, call number Cp635.9 N87n [year].

  Facts about the Christmas tree farming industry in North Carolina, types of trees sold, and where the farms are.

North Carolina ranks third in peanut production in the United States.

• Peanut News. North Carolina Peanut Growers Association and Virginia Association of Peanut and Hog Growers. FC634.58 P35 [volume and year].
  Note: The NCC has holdings of this periodical from 1955 to 2001. In some years, it is called Virginia-Carolina Peanut News. If you need help locating a particular year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  This magazine for peanut farmers chronicles advances in peanut research. Also contains advertisements and informative articles.

• The Peanut Farmer. Raleigh: Specialized Agricultural Publications. C633.36 P35 [volume and year].
  Note: The NCC has holdings of this periodical from 1967 to 2004. If you need help locating a particular volume or year, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  Like Peanut News, this magazine is another source for news, research advances, and other industry information.

N.C. Agriculture Home

In the early nineteenth century, North Carolina lagged behind the rest of the country in agricultural production and standard of living. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, both grass roots and governmental movements arose to improve farming practices by educating farmers about new farming methods, cleanliness, and other important topics. These materials reflect this movement.

• Progressive Farmer. FC630.5 P96 [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings of this newspaper from 1886 to the present under different titles and in microfilm. If you need help locating a year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  Founded in 1886 by Leonidas L. Polk to educate farmers about agricultural advances, this newspaper contains advice columns, advertisements, predictions about crops, electricity, leisure, etc. and is not exclusively geared toward North Carolina. Polk encouraged farmers to organize in the paper, reflecting a trend that would begat the Farmers' Alliance, Industrial Union, and Southern Farmers' Alliance. The newspaper has changed titles and publishers numerous times over the years. To look at the other titles, click on the above call number to see the catalog record. Click on the "Description" tab in the middle of the page, and the title that immediately follows this one is listed under "Later Title."

• Green "N" Growing: The History of Home Demonstration and 4-H Youth Developments in North Carolina. North Carolina State University Libraries.

  This website, created by the NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center chronicles the history of the 4-H Club in North Carolina, which was started to instruct women and children in agricultural practices and home economics. Contains photographs, a timeline, and teaching tools.

North Carolina State University was founded in 1887 as a land grant college, and was originally called the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Farmers' organizations hoped that the research and education offered would improve North Carolina agriculture and rural communities. The research and outreach programs of the college aided North Carolina farming immensely. The NCC has numerous documents from NCSU, such as commencement programs and catalogs, as well as a few general histories.

• Lockmiller, David Alexander. "The Establishment of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." North Carolina Historical Review, 1939. Cp970 N87hi v. 16, no. 3

  Overview of educational climate during Reconstruction and the push to establish the college. Includes bibliographical references.

• Downs, Murray Scott, and Beers, Burton S. North Carolina State University: A Pictoral History. North Carolina State University Alumni Association, 1986. C378 A27E5

  Many early pictures of the University, its founders, and early University life.

• Reagan, Alice Elizabeth. North Carolina State University: A Narrative History. Ann Arbor: Edwards Brothers, Inc.: 1987. C378 A27E6.

  This book is a factual narrative of the history of the University, from the beginning to the mid 1980s. Includes notes, a bibliography, appendices, and an index.

• The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Raleigh. Raleigh: Edwards and Broughton, 1890. C378 A27H [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings of this catalog from 1890 to 1981 under various titles. If you need help locating a year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  This is the early College's catalog, published annually. It contains information about faculty, officers, students, object and aim of the College, classes, etc. The catalog changed names when the College turned into NCSU.

N.C. Agriculture Home

Most of the North Carolina Collection's items about farmers' markets and farm produce are from the 21st century.

• Guide to Local and Organic Food in the Triangle: Farmers, Restaurants, Markets and Grocers, Manufacturers. Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, 2005-present. Cp641.4 C292g

  A guide to farmers' markets, grocers, "green" businesses, and farms around North Carolina. Organized by county and region.

• Discover North Carolina Farms. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2009. Cb631.18 D598n

  A contemporary broadside pamphlet with a map of North Carolina and farms that people can visit.

• Directory: A Consumer's Guide to North Carolina's Finest Home Grown Fruits, Vegetables, and Other "Down Home Products": Where to Find Pick-Your-Own Farms, Roadside Markets, Farmers' Markets. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Agriculture, 1995. A9 15: D59 [microfiche serial]

• Homegrown Handmade: Art Roads and Farm Trails. North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources and North Carolina Cooperative Extension, 2008. C917.02 H765j

  This is a guide book to farms, festivals, preserves, and homemade crafts around North Carolina, organized by county. Each entry is briefly annotated and has hours, phone numbers, parking, and other information.

N.C. Agriculture Home

These general histories of agriculture are listed chronologically from the early colonial period to the 20th century.

Early Colonial Agriculture

• Herndon, G. Melvin. "Indian Agriculture in the Southern Colonies." North Carolina Historical Review, 1967. North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Cp970 N87hi v. 44, no.3

  Discusses Native Americans in Virginia and North Carolina and includes a bibliographical index. The North Carolina Collection has very few resources about the specific subject of Native Americans and agriculture. What does exist can be found in general resources about Native Americans. To look at sources about Native Americans in North Carolina, go to our "Introduction to Resources on the History of Native Americans in North Carolina" webpage.

• Otto, John Solomon. The Southern Frontiers, 1607-1860: The Agricultural Evolution of the Colonial and Antebellum South. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1989. C970.2 O89s

  This is a basic history of the first settlers, and their aspirations, crops, animals, and exports. See the chapter entitled "The Carolinian Frontiers," p. 27-44. This chapter covers the period from 1670 to 1775 and also discusses South Carolina. Includes a bibliography and an index.

Colonial and Antebellum Agriculture

• Franklin, W. Neil. "Agriculture in Colonial North Carolina." North Carolina Historical Review, 1926. North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Cp970 N87hi v. 3, no. 4

  Discusses how North Carolina was portrayed in early New World writings, North Carolina vegetation, early settlers, slaves, taxes, major crops, minor agricultural products, prices, agricultural exports. Includes a bibliography.

• Gray, Lewis Cecil. History of Agriculture in Southern United States to 1860. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1958. C630.9 G779H 1958.

  Gives a more comprehensive view of the entire South. Contains a specific chapter about the Carolinas called "Beginnings of Agriculture in the Carolinas." Discusses Native American interaction with settlers and includes a chapter about slaves. Includes a bibliography and an index.

• Cathey, Cornelius O. Agriculture in Colonial North Carolina before the Civil War. Raleigh: State Department of Archives and History, 1966. C630.9 C36a

  Good narrative of agriculture, written by a UNC professor. Contains information about food, settlements, fertilizers, farm implements, livestock, and farms in 1860. Includes suggestions for further reading. Many later titles cite this book.

• Cathey, Cornelius O. Agricultural Developments in North Carolina, 1783-1860. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1956. Cp970 J28 v. 38.

  Information about reform in the nineteenth century, cotton and tobacco, livestock, developments after the Revolutionary War, also information about slaves. Includes an index and extensive bibliography.

Reconstruction through 20th Century

• Daniel, Pete. Breaking the Land: The Transformation of Cotton, Tobacco, and Rice Cultures Since 1880. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1985. C630.9 D18b

  Look at the chapter entitled "The Southern Enclosure," which covers these industries in the South. Discusses farming methods of tobacco. Includes a bibliography and index.

• Ellison, Deborah, and Jearlean Woody. North Carolina Century Farms: 100 Years of Continuous Agricultural Heritage. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Agriculture, 1989. FCR631 N87g

  A book about individual farms in North Carolina that have been owned by the same family for a century. Contains a few pages of North Carolina agricultural history, numerous pictures, and bibliographical references.

• Palmer, James Lamar. The Transition of Agriculture: The Case of Eastern North Carolina, 1915-1940. University of North Carolina Undergraduate Thesis, 1999. C378 UO7 1999 v.4

  Conditions of North Carolina agriculture from 1915 to 1940. North Carolina's attempts to solve problems, information about African Americans. Also general information about North Carolina, education, and the Great Depression. Includes a bibliography.

• Hicks, John D. "The Farmer's Alliance in North Carolina." North Carolina Historical Review, 1925. Raleigh: North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Cp970 N87hi v.2 no.2

  Details why the alliance started, and the role Farmers' Alliance played in reform. This resource is good if you're interested in unions, farmers organizing, and farmer business practices. Includes a bibliography.

• North Carolina Agriculture: Regional Perspectives. Raleigh: Rural Center, 2009.
  Note: The NCC also has a physical copy of this report, call number Cp630 N864r.

  This online report contains some historical data, but is mostly a current snapshot of agriculture conditions. The rural center split North Carolina into seven economic development regions, rather than county, and each region contains farmers' perspectives, farm and crop receipts, population, and farm trends. A section at the beginning includes North Carolina's national rank by industry.

N.C. Agriculture Home

In 1853, The North Carolina State Agricultural Society, the sponsor of the State Fair, envisioned the Fair to be both entertaining and educational for families all over North Carolina. The State Fair has been a favorite fall activity since. Here is some information about this popular pastime.

• McLaurin, Melton Alonza. The North Carolina State Fair: The First 150 Years. Raleigh: Office of Archives and History, North Carolina State Fair Division, 2003. FC630.78 N87m

  The history of the North Carolina State Fair, with pictures, a bibliography, and an index.

• North Carolina State Fair Premium Book. C630.78 N87s [year]
  Note: The NCC has holdings of this item from 1877 to 2002. If you need help locating a particular year or volume, ask anyone at the reference desk for assistance.

  A primary source of State Fair Rules, prizes, and the different competitions held through the years. Published by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

• Rogers, Amy T. Red Pepper Fudge and Blue Ribbon Biscuits: Favorite Recipes and Stories from North Carolina State Fair Winners. Asheboro, NC: Down Home Press, 1995. C641.5 R72r

  A cookbook of winning recipes from the State Fair. Also includes pictures and short articles about the winners themselves.

N.C. Agriculture Home

• Mobley, Joe A. The Way We Lived in North Carolina. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2003. C970 W357u.

  This book discusses life for North Carolinians from the earliest settlers to people today. The section called "Close to the Land" contains information about farm and plantation life during the 19th century, including photographs and a large section about slaves. An appendix of North Carolina historical sites, a bibliography, and an index are also included.

• Farm Journal of Nicholas B. Massenburg. CB M415m v.1 & 2

  For more primary sources about plantation life such as diaries, records, and journals, search the Southern Historical Collection's finding aids. You can also search for items on the Documenting the American South website.

• Zelmer, John G., Jr. Hayes: The Plantation, Its People, and Their Papers. Raleigh: North Carolina Office of Archives and History, 2007. C906 N87s no. 41

  Includes a bibliography and index about the family and plantation.

• North Carolina Historic Sites: Somerset Place.

  The North Carolina Historic Sites website provides extensive information about this preserved historic plantation in Creswell, NC, which yielded rice, corn, oats, wheat, beans, peas, and flax. Here, you can find photographs, maps, information about artifacts, different buildings, and information about the people who lived there--both slaves and owners.

N.C. Agriculture Home

North Carolina has a rich history of farmer alliances and cooperatives. To look at a list of periodicals published by these groups, click here.

• Hicks, John D. "The Farmer's Alliance in North Carolina." North Carolina Historical Review, 1925. Raleigh: North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Cp970 N87hi v.2 no.2

  Details why the alliance started, and the role the Farmers' Alliance played in reform. This resource is good if you're interested in unions, farmers organizing, and agricultural business practices. Includes a bibliography.

• Steelman, Lala Carr. The North Carolina Farmers' Alliance: A Political History, 1887-1893. Greenville: East Carolina University Publications, 1985. C378 E13J1 v.6

  Information about how the Farmer's Alliance began, conditions that inspired the Farmer's Alliance, and the politics of the era. Includes a bibliography and an index.

• Kretschmann, James Finley. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture, 1877-1900. University of North Carolina Thesis, 1955. C378 UO2 1955 Kretschmann

  Discusses the devastation of North Carolina agriculture after the Civil War and the Department of Agriculture in its early days. Includes a bibliography.

N.C. Agriculture Home

Because slavery was integral to agriculture in much of antebellum North Carolina and cannot be separated from it, all of the histories listed in this pathfinder (and most of the other resources) include this topic. The North Carolina Collection also has a vast array of resources about slavery in North Carolina; this subject could be its own pathfinder. Look at the Subject Headings at the top of the page for suggestions on what to search for in the catalog.

• Forret, Jeff. Race Relations at the Margins: Slaves and Poor Whites in the Antebellum Southern Countryside. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2006. C970.51 F31r

  Five chapters, each dedicated to discussing some aspect of the relationship between slaves and poor whites in the Carolinas and Virginia. Includes a bibliography and index.

• Andrews, William, ed. North Carolina Slave Narratives: The Lives of Moses Roper, Lunsford Lane, Moses Grandy, and Thomas H. Jones. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2003. C326.92 N87u

  Good overview of North Carolina slavery with a bibliography. Gives a first-hand account of slaves and their role in agriculture.

N.C. Agriculture Home

See the pathfinder called The Industrial History of North Carolina: A Research Guide for NCC resources related to the tobacco industry.

N.C. Agriculture Home

• Jones, Lu Ann. "The Task that is Ours": White North Carolina Farm Women and Agrarian Reform, 1886-1914. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Undergraduate Thesis. C378 U02 1983 Jones, L.A.

  A comprehensive resource with a bibliography, mainly about wives and daughters of yeoman farmers in North Carolina. Details duties farm women performed, women's messages in The Progressive Farmer, and women's complaints about their dependence on men, isolation, overwork, and allocation of family resources.

• Jones, Lu Ann. Mama Learned Us to Work: Farm Women in the New South. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2002. C630.1 J77m

  Oral histories about farm women in the 20th-century South. Gender roles, perspectives of younger children on farms and what women did on these farms. Also talks about African American families. Includes bibliographical references and an index.

• Walker, Melissa, and Sharpless, Rebecca, eds. Work, Family, and Faith: Rural Southern Women in the Twentieth Century. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2006. C630.1 W927w

  Essays about women's lives in the rural South and the role they played in agriculture, with a bibliography and index. Oral interviews, information about the tobacco industry, and information about life for African Americans in the South.

N.C. Agriculture Home