Our Values

The mission of the Berry Center archives accords with the mission of The Berry Center in acquiring, cataloging, and preserving in perpetuity the record of the literary, agricultural, legislative, and cultural work of the Berry Family. We  will make these records available to all people regardless of education, philosophy, occupation, economic level, or background who are interested in agrarianism and farming. In addition, we  will provide research support and programming to promote an informed public understanding of agrarianism and the long tradition of philosophy to which agrarians belong.

The mission of the Tanya Amyx Berry Agrarian Library is to make available books in the agrarian tradition – fiction and non-fiction – to appeal to the public, to support scholarship in the Wendell Berry Farming program – teaching and learning – and the research needs of our institution.

The papers of John M. Berry, Sr.,  Wendell Berry, and John M. Berry, Jr. and the books in the Agrarian Library provide a touchstoneforall our work. Vital manuscripts and correspondence are guideposts. Books from agrarian writers provide up-to-date information aswe work torealize a vision of protecting the livelihoods of small farmers, restoring the countryside, making it possible for farmers to be able to farm well on prosperous and productive farms, and supporting our rural communities and restoring them to vitality.