Introduction

 Son of Japanese[-American] farmer with his dog. Placer County, California, Dec. 1940. Farm Security Administration, photo by Russell W. Lee. 8a29808A guide to agricultural information, with an emphasis on the United States.

Agriculture in Context

At Harvard, about 9 percent of undergrads come from rural areas

In the United States, farms create 0.7% of the gross domestic product. In turn, agriculture (including inputs and food-related businesses, textiles, fishing and forestry) makes up 5.6% of the economy.

About 1% of U.S. jobs are on-farm jobs, while 10.4% of jobs are related to food and agriculture.  (ag economy details).

97% of the U.S. land area is rural, and 19% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas


About Agriculture in the Harvard Library

Note that Harvard Library does not collect extensively in agriculture. Readers will want to make use of other sources beyond HOLLIS and in addition to this guide.  These include: