Cleveland County Agriculture

by Cleveland Soil and Water Conservation District

Overview

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern North Carolina, Cleveland County has long been cultivated. Before the Civil War, self-reliant farms grew and raised a diverse array of vegetables, field crops, and livestock. These small farms relied on family labor, draft animals, waterwheels, and ingenuity. Eventually, the county became a leader in production of cotton and dairy products; tractors, combines, and hay balers became farm mainstays. Cleveland County Agriculture showcases the triumphs and trials of farmers--farmers who endured the Great Depression, the arrival of the boll weevil, and the everyday challenges of farm life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439657997
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	10/10/2016
Series:	Images of America Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

The Cleveland Soil and Water Conservation District has worked with farmers for over 75 years. After the Dust Bowl increased the nation's awareness of erosion, soil conservation districts were established across the country. Districts were supervised by farmers for farmers to promote the best practices for building and conserving soil. Today, the Cleveland Soil and Water Conservation District continues the important mission of helping farmers conserve resources. The district has allocated over $1,000,000 to conservation projects in Cleveland County since 1990. All of the author's proceeds from the purchase of Cleveland County Agriculture go to the Cleveland County Farmland Preservation Program.

Editorial Reviews

"A new book is using the past to help preserve farming for the future. "Cleveland County Agriculture" features nearly 200 black-and-white farming photos from Cleveland County and documents how agriculture has changed over the decades. The proceeds from the book will raise funds for the Cleveland County Farmland Preservation Program, a program that creates awareness of agriculture and seeks to preserve farms.

In 2014, staff from the Cleveland County Soil and Water Conservation District discovered a box of black-and-white photos from the 1940s to 1960s in a storage closet. Many photos showed how farmers were trying to prevent erosion, including several that showed farmers building terraces with mules and drag pans.

"We thought it was such a waste that these photos were sitting in the back of the storage room and nobody could see them," said Stephen Bishop, soil conservationist for the district, "so we contacted a publishing company about creating a book to benefit farmland preservation." The Shelby Star

From the Publisher