Mapping to MN State Standards
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The resources on this page have been selected by eLibraryMN and Minnesota Digital Library librarians and curators to support the MN English Language Arts and the Social Studies standards, both current and pending, specifically related to agriculture. Resources in eLibraryMN and EbooksMN have unlimited simultaneous user access and are freely available to anyone geolocated in Minnesota. The primary source resources detailed are available to all, regardless of location.
Please reach out with questions or suggestions about linking to, using, or sharing these resources.
Academic Research
Below is a collection of available topic overviews that link to many related articles and resources within ELM.
Get student research started with a solid foundation. Encyclopedia Britannica's overview of Agriculture for a history of farming from the earliest peoples to the technologies of today.
EBSCO's Explora MS and HS has extensive information about all types of farming and agriculture. This ebook is an example of EBSCO's variety of sources on the topic; not only does this resource have peer reviewed journal articles, it contains nonfiction informational texts written and edited by experts.
Gale in Context Middle School and High School collections of resources on Agriculture are extensive. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to view subtopics of resources around the topic such as GMOs, the Dust Bowl, Drought, and Food Insecurity.
Finally, students in high school are ready to discuss some of the controversial issues around agriculture, such as farm subsidies and factory farming.
Ebooks
This is a curated group of fiction and nonfiction ebooks, Grade Interest Level 9-12. All titles are available to students geolocated in MN without login. Linking directly to chapters is also possible. To link directly to the titles and share in your LMS or libguides, copy the link to the title(s) you want from our persistent link spreadsheet (if you are not accessing through the MackinVia app). Reach out to us with questions about linking.
Corn palaces and butter queens: a history of cropart and dairy sculpture
Highlights the tradition of agricultural art displayed at county fairs and exhibitions. From the Sioux City Corn Palaceof the late eighteen hundreds to intricate butter sculptures, analyzes the significance of these agricultural displays through informational text and photographs.
Days on the family farm: from the Golden Age through the Great Depression
Provides the diaries of Midwest farm wife May Lyford Davis who chronicled what it was like to run their family farm from the turn of the twentieth century through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II, tracing the evolution of farming from horses to tractors and other machinery.
The complete illustrated guide to farming
Offers guidance and tips for small-scale and hobby farming, from planting and harvesting to farrowing and taking livestock to market. Includes a glossary, resources for further information, and color photographs.
Beginner’s illustrated guide to gardening: techniques to help get you started
Presents a full-color, illustrated guide to gardening that offers basic information about selecting and caring for a variety of plants. Features projects with step-by-step directions, color photographs, and a how-to section with information, tips, and materials lists. Features a glossary and a plant index.
Primary Sources
Resources below are recommended by MDL curators from partners in primary source history.
Farmers waiting to unload wheat at Bruns' and Finkle's Elevator A, Moorhead, 1879
After harvesting wheat, farmers drove their loaded wagons to grain elevators where it would be stored and dried before going to a flour mill.
Shearing sheep in Lakeside Township, 1905
Many farmers owned several kinds of livestock. These farmers sheared the wool off their sheep by hand.
Minnesota Dairyman, Vol. VI, No. 8, Oct. 1911
Dairy farmers in Minnesota read the latest news and best practices for their industry in journals like “Minnesota Dairyman” and “Heatwole’s Dairy Paper.”
Cultivators in a farm equipment catalog, 1922
Before online shopping, farmers purchased equipment in catalogs like this one from the Hudson Manufacturing Company.
Poultry Association Egg Show, 1928
Farmers displayed their best produce, livestock, and poultry at agriculture fairs like this Nobles County egg show.
Aerial view of Whitlock-Tieg's Farm, Belle Plaine, 1935
Most farms have several barns, sheds, and other outbuildings to house animals and equipment.
Combines on the Torkelson Bros. Farm, St. James, 1947-8
Farms increased their efficiency with new technology and improved machinery, like these mechanized soybean combines.
Cultivating corn at William Wolf farm near Rockville, 1950
Corn fields are a familiar sight in rural Minnesota, and Minnesota is one of the top corn producers in the country.
Curated Resources:
- Mechanization of Farming
Learn about new technologies in farm machinery and the impact on Minnesota agriculture in this primary source set. - Farm to Table: Food History in Minnesota
Explore the history of growing and raising food and agriculture's related industries in this online exhibit. - Minnesota Apples
Discover the history of apple growing in Minnesota and trace the impact of early fruit breeding to today.
For more, see the primary sources column in the K-8 tab in this guide.
Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing
For in depth research into these topics, sometimes you need to request materials from other libraries. These can be digital or they can sometimes be printed books. There are two main options for requesting these materials. One, MNLINK, allows you to search all Minnesota libraries for the requires the use of a public library card and PIN. While many educators use their own library card to help students, it is recommended that students use their own. However, this is not always possible, so there is a second option: Minitex Resource sharing for schools. This allows one staff member per school to request items on behalf of students and have the items sent directly to the school building. If you have questions about which option is better for you and your students, reach out to us and we can help.