The downloads to the left contain the complete and unedited Small Farm Energy Primer that was produced and distributed by the Center for Rural Affairs in July 1980.

Introduction - August 2007

The Primer summarizes the findings of the Small Farm Energy Project, a remarkable farmer-driven effort that ran from 1976 to 1983, under the leadership of the Center for Rural Affairs. Initially, 48 Nebraska farms participated in the project, and their influence extended nationwide through the newsletters and publications of the Small Farm Energy Project.

The project was based on the bold premise that the energy crisis of the 1970s represented both a threat to large-scale, fossil fuel-dependent farming and an economic opportunity for America 's creative and resourceful small farmers. The farmers who participated in the project explored low-cost, home-built, low-energy alternatives, including homemade biofuels, organic farming, and using solar energy to dry grain, pump water, and heat water and buildings.

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and the New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI) are delighted to make the Primer available once again, with permission and cooperation from the Center for Rural Affairs. Most of the innovations described in the Primer are still not widely known or employed by America 's small farmers and ranchers, and we believe that these experiments in low-energy agriculture are at least as relevant today as they were over 25 years ago.

Funding for the creation and distribution of the CD version of these disks was provided by the USDA Risk Management Agency , through a cooperative partnership with NCAT titled Managing Farm Energy Risks.