Libraries Ask Us

Agriculture - Research Guide

Find material to support your agriculture research. Ask the Agriculture Librarians for assistance.

Want to get your hands dirty (and earn credit)?

Select an experience from a variety of options:

Student Farm Enterprise

Food Gardens at UMass

Garden Share

Permaculture Initiative

Renaissance Center gardens

Real Food Challenge

Library Highlight

Click HERE for a wealth of information on the history of agriculture and related fields.

Also, check out Agriculture in New England Online Collection, 1811-1900 to find digitized historical works related to agricultural production in New England, crops and farming practices endemic to the region, and the varied roles that UMass has played.

And IMAGES too.

Campus Highlight

Informative and creative tree tour, led by Professor Jack Ahern.

Arts in the Arboretum
Led by Professor Jack Ahern, LARP, on April 27, 2010. Video by Stephanie McPherson, Class of 2010.

Around Campus

International Agricultural Studies
Prepares agricultural scientists for careers involving increased production and improved distribution of world food and other biological resource products. Appeals to students seeking involvement with the worldwide effort to increase food consumption and improve food distribution.
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Students must complete four of the following six courses:
ANIMLSCI 101 Introduction to Animal
FOOD-SCI 102 World Food Habits
PLSOILIN 265 Sustainable Agriculture
PLSOILIN 350 Soil and Crop Management
PLSOILIN 370 Tropical Agriculture
RES-ECON 121 Hunger in a Global Economy
Students must also complete two of the following courses:
ANTHRO 104 Culture, Society, and People
ECON 121 The International Economy
EDUC 229 International Education
POLISCI 121 World Politics
POLISCI 253 International Environmental Politics and Policy
SOCIOL a social change course (such as 325 or 329)
Stockbridge School of Agriculture
Central to the mission of UMass Amherst, the School builds upon a tradition and public commitment to support agriculture through research and education.
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Associate Degrees

Arboriculture and Community Forest Management
Equine Management
Landscape Contracting
Sustainable Food and Farming
Sustainable Horticulture
Turfgrass Management

Bachelor Degrees

Plant Soil and Insect Sciences
Sustainable Horticulture
Sustainable Food & Farming
Turfgrass Science & Management

Graduate Degrees

M.S. and Ph.D. Degree Programs

Academic Minors

Plant and Soil Sciences
Plant Pathology
Sustainable Food and Farming
A increasingly popular major created in response to student demand and emerging job opportunities. Prepares students for careers with local and community farms, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, or to work in public policy.
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SF&F offers students flexibility in choice of courses; therefore a close working relationship with an academic advisor is required.
The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE)
Units include: UMass Extension, the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station and the Water Resources Research Center. Integrates research and outreach education in agriculture, food systems and the environment. Founded on the university’s land-grant origins, the Center links UMass Amherst with business, policy and public interest sectors across the state.
UMass Center for Beginning Farmers
Trains and mentors new Massachusetts farmers from Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, among other places. UMass Amherst undergraduates — many with no previous background in farming — also work and study year-round at the UMass Crops Research and Education Farm, South Deerfield, fueled by a commitment to healthy eating, a healthy environment, and a healthy local economy that includes locally grown food.
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As the state’s landgrant institution, University of Massachusetts Amherst's technical resources, faculty, and professional staff provide research-based for farmers of all backgrounds. This includes diagnostic
services for pest and soil management, technical guides
on all aspects of sustainable production and marketing of
food crops, and two research farms where new crops and
production practices are constantly evaluated and refined.
We draw upon our Extension history, a body of experience with a wide range of educational approaches to adult learning, from one-on-one training on the farm, to interactive workshops, and academic coursework. Emphasis is on providing services and learning opportunities to people who are interested in becoming commercial farmers.
UMass Extension/Outreach
Sponsors statewide programs in agriculture, natural resources, environmental Conservation, nutrition education, 4-H activities and more. Find out about workshops, conferences, distance education, training events, consultations, and applied research.

Campus Highlight

Amherst Bulletin article about the UMass Agricultural Learning Center coming to North Pleasant Street in 2014. Also Amherst College is inviting proposals for a campus farm to connect students and faculty with local food and sustainable agriculture.

There has been a tenfold increase in the past seven years in the number of UMass students majoring in sustainable food and farming. Prof. John Gerber's class on sustainable living, which drew 35 students seven years ago, now enrolls 300 and would have more if the classroom were bigger.