Annotated Bibliography
Heffernan, William D., and Judith Bortner Heffernan. “Social Consequences of the Economic Crisis in
Agriculture.” Agricultural Change: Consequences for Southern Farms and Rural Communities.
Dec. 1989. 11-24.
Surveys families forced out of farming for financial reasons between 1980 and 1985 in a
sample Missouri county. Lists specific stress reactions and assistance needed or received.
The article makes policy recommendations to assist individuals and rural communities. I will
compare the recommendations herein with current programs designed to assist farm families and
rural communities to see if any of the programs were effective and still exist.
Holding, Brian, ed. Ag Policy: A Summary of Six Seminars Held Across Iowa, Sponsored by Iowa State
University, 2008. Ames: Iowa State University. 2008.
The book summarizes presentations at seminars sponsored by U of Iowa, Ames. Holding is a
graduate student at Ames in Agronomy who editorializes in the final section of the book. The
Presentations within are those of agribusinessmen, farmers, lenders and policy makers. I will
use data from the summaries to compare with Heffernan’s data from 2 decades earlier.
Lawson, Michael, PhD. “The Impact of the Farm Recession on Local Governments.” Intergovernmental
Perspective 12:3 (Summer 1986): 17-23.
Doctor Lawson holds a PhD in Economics and teaches at the University of Minnesota. The
article summarizes the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental relations report on the farm
dependent states in the North Central, Plains and South regions. It contends that the changes
in property tax are slow but that collections will diminish and that local governments dependent
on state and federal aid will suffer more. Among the states studied, local governments in
Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, and the Dakotas are hurt the worst. Also finds that reductions in
State aid to the public schools have already taken place in Arkansas, Iowa, Montana and
Nebraska. The article supports my contention that rural communities are so dependent on
the farm economy that any significant farm crisis can rend the fabric of the entire community.
Manso, Peter. “Done Denyin’.” Time Magazine. 27 July 1987. 42-4.
While Manso is not an expert in the field, he references psychologists who directly
Worked with the individuals in question. The article describes a Clay County, Iowa, farm couple
and family and neighbors in the farm crisis, 1984-1987, and their economic and emotional
problems; the source includes a group-therapy session. I will use the evidence of severe
emotional stress on couples, children, neighbors and community.
Otto, Daniel. “Losing the Land.” Garland: New York. 1989.
Author, Otto Daniel’s book expands upon his doctoral thesis, detailing the impact of the farm
crisis on Iowa farmers who quit farming for financial reasons during the first half of the 1980s.
One chapter discusses the impact of the decline of the family farm regarding the survival of rural
communities. The last two chapters of the book support my claim as they predict another farm
crisis, which will eliminate the family farm and restructure the industry to large corporate farms.
Note to my College Now partners:
The document above is a sample Annotated Bibliography which I
prepared using some source material that I’ve been looking at
for a scholarly article. I think you might offer it to the students
as an example of how to incorporate the “annotated” part of the
Annotated Bibliography.