A farm is an area of land, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of farming, the production and management of food, either produce or livestock (see also ranching). Produce is a generalized term for a group of Farm -produced goods generally limited to Fruits and Vegetables More specifically the term "produce" Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle It is the basic production facility in food production. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture ^[1] Farms may be owned and operated by a single individual, family, or community, or by a corporation or company. A farm can be a holding of any size from a fraction of a hectare to several thousand hectares. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture,

A business producing tree fruits or nuts is called an orchard; a vineyard produces raisins, wine or table grapes. An orchard is an intentional planting of Trees or Shrubs maintained for Food production. A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic The stable is used for operations principally involved in the production of horses and other animals and livestock. A stable is a Building in which Livestock, especially Horses are kept A farm that is primarily used for the production of milk and dairy is a dairy farm. Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an Animal husbandry enterprise for long-term production of Milk, which may be either processed on-site or A market garden or truck farm is a farm that raises vegetables, but little or no grain. "Market garden" redirects here For the World War II operation see Operation Market Garden. Additional specialty farms include fish farms, which raise fish in captivity as a food source, and tree farms, which grow trees for sale for transplant, lumbering, or decorative use. Fish farming is the principal form of Aquaculture, while other methods may fall under Mariculture. A plantation is usually a large farm or estate, on which cotton, tobacco, coffee, or sugar cane, are cultivated, usually by resident laborers. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco

The development of farming and farms was an important component in establishing towns. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Once people have moved from hunting and/or gathering and from simple horticulture to active farming, social arrangements of roads, distribution, collection, and marketing can evolve. With the exception of plantations and colonial farms, farm sizes tend to be small in newly-settled lands and to extend as transportation and markets become sophisticated. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco Farming rights have been the central tenet of a number of revolutions, wars of liberation, and post-colonial economics.

A typical North American grain farm with farmstead in Ontario, Canada

Farmland in the USA. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The fields are round due to pivot irrigation. Center-pivot irrigation (sometimes called central pivot irrigation) also called circle irrigation, is a method of crop Irrigation in which equipment Photo taken from the window of an airliner

Farmlands in Hebei province, China

Etymology

The word came via French ferme from Late Latin firma = "fixed payment" from Latin firmus = "firm, solid", and originally referred to a big landowner farming out his land among other men to run it, rather than running it all himself. ( Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Vulgar Latin (in Latin sermo vulgaris, "folk speech" is a Blanket term covering the popular Dialects and Sociolects of the Latin Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Landholder or landowner is a holder of the Estate in land with considerable rights of ownership or simply put an owner of land As times have changed fewer people are needed to assist in running the farm because of the increase of mechanization.

Farming

Further information: Agriculture

The term farming covers a wide spectrum of agricultural production work. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture At one end of this spectrum is the subsistence farmer, who farms a small area with limited resource inputs, and produces only enough food to meet the needs of his/her family. Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficient farming in which farmers grow only enough food to feed the family and to pay taxes or feudal dues Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an At the other end is commercial intensive agriculture, including industrial agriculture. Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is an Agricultural production system characterized by the high Inputs of Capital, Fertilizers Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of Livestock, Poultry, Fish, and Such farming involves large fields and/or numbers of animals, large resource inputs (pesticides, fertilizers, etc. ), and a high level of mechanization. Mechanized agriculture is the process of using Agricultural machinery to massively increase farm output These operations generally attempt to maximize financial income from grain, produce, or livestock. Produce is a generalized term for a group of Farm -produced goods generally limited to Fruits and Vegetables More specifically the term "produce" Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food

Traditionally, the goal of farming was to create a profit, and to produce an amount of cultivated material (i. e. corn, wheat, etc) so that the resulting harvest has more worth than the cost of planting such a harvest. The costs could include the acquisition of seeds as well as the time and energy required to tend to such a venture. The resulting product is often used to sustain those who farm as both a food to eat and a commodity to sell.

Types of farming

• Collective farming
• Factory farming
• Intensive farming
• Organic farming
• Vertical farming
• Fell farming

Specialized farms

Dairy farms

Main article: Dairy farming

A milking machine in action. Collective farming is an organization of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise Factory farming is the practice of raising Farm animals in confinement at high stocking density where a farm operates as a Factory &mdash a practice typical in Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is an Agricultural production system characterized by the high Inputs of Capital, Fertilizers Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on Crop rotation, Green manure, Compost, Biological pest control, and mechanical Cultivation Vertical farming is a proposal to perform Agriculture in urban High-rises These building have been called "farmscrapers Fell farming is the Farming of Fells ie areas of uncultivated high ground used as common Grazing. Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an Animal husbandry enterprise for long-term production of Milk, which may be either processed on-site or

Dairy farming is a class of agriculture, where female cattle, goats, or other mammals are raised for their milk, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy for processing and eventual retail sale. Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an Animal husbandry enterprise for long-term production of Milk, which may be either processed on-site or Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep

In most Western countries, a centralized dairy facility processes milk and dairy products, such as cream, butter, and cheese. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep For the 1993 hip-hop single by the Wu-Tang Clan see CREAM CREAM is an acronym for Cognitive Reliability Error Analysis Method a Butter is a Dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented Cream or Milk. Cheese is a Food made from Milk, usually the milk of cows, Buffalo, Goats or sheep, by coagulation. In the United States, these dairies are usually local companies, while in the southern hemisphere facilities may be run by very large nationwide or trans-national corporations (such as Fonterra). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' Fonterra is a Multinational New Zealand company and New Zealand's largest company by turnover

Dairy farms generally sell the male calves borne by their mothers for veal meat, as dairy breeds are not normally satisfactory for commercial beef production. Veal is the Meat of In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows Many dairy farms also grow their own feed, typically including corn, alfalfa, and hay. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa) is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop Hay is a generic term for grass or Legumes that have been cut dried and stored for use as animal feed, particularly for grazing animals like This is fed directly to the cows, or stored as silage for use during the winter season. For the Christian Alternative band please see Silage (band Silage is fermented, high-moisture Fodder that can Additional dietary supplements are added to the feed to improve milk production.

Poultry farms

Poultry farms are devoted to raising chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other fowl, generally for meat or eggs. [1] [2] [3]

Ownership

Farm control and ownership has traditionally been a key indicator of status and power, especially in agrarian societies. An agrarian society is one that is based on Agriculture as its prime means for support and sustenance The distribution of farm ownership has historically been closely linked to form of government. Distribution of property is the division of Property, due to a death or the Dissolution of a marriage which was owned by the deceased or acquired during the A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Medieval feudalism was essentially a system that centralized control of farmland, control of farm labor and political power, while the early American democracy, in which land ownership was a prerequisite for voting rights, was built on relatively easy paths to individual farm ownership. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system However, the gradual modernization and mechanization of farming, which greatly increases both the efficiency and capital requirements of farming, has led to increasingly large farms owned by individuals or corporations. The idea of modernization comes from a view of societies as having a standard Evolutionary pattern as described in the Social evolutionism theories Mechanization or mechanisation ( BE) is providing human operators with machinery to assist them with the physical requirements of work This has usually been accompanied by the decoupling of political power from farm ownership.

Forms of ownership

In some societies (especially socialist and communist), collective farming is the norm, with either government ownership of the land or common ownership by a local group. Collective farming is an organization of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise Especially in societies without widespread industrialized farming, tenant farming and sharecropping are common; farmers either pay landowners for the right to use farmland or give up a portion of the crops. A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a Landlord. Sharecropping is a system of agriculture or agricultural production in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land (e

History

Main article: History of agriculture

The practice of agriculture first began around 8000 BC in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia (part of present day Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Jordan which was then greener). Agriculture was developed at least 10000 years ago and it has undergone significant developments since the time of the earliest cultivation The Fertile Crescent is a Crescent -shaped region in the Middle East, originally incorporating the Levant and Ancient Mesopotamia, and often Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern ^[2]

Farms around the world

British Isles and Europe

Many farms have fallen into disrepair, such as the ruins of Higher Hempshaw's in Anglezarke, England

In the UK, farm as an agricultural unit, always denotes the area of pasture and other fields together with its farmhouse and farmyard, barns, cowsheds, stables, etc. Anglezarke is a Civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Pasture is land with Herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of Ungulate Livestock as part of a Farm or Ranch. In Agriculture, a field refers generally to an area of Land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as Cultivating crops A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace In England there is a vague point when a large farm ceases to be referred to as a farm and becomes an estate; although this term can refer to a collection of farms in the same ownership. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland For other uses see Estate. An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds

North America

Farming near Klingerstown, Pennsylvania. Klingerstown is a Census-designated place (CDP in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern

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The land and buildings of a farm are called the "farmstead. Gardening is the practice of growing Plants for their attractive flowers or foliage and Vegetables or Fruits for consumption A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of Plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes An arboretum is a collection of trees Related collections include a fruticetum (from the Latin frutex, meaning shrub and a viticetum a collection of vines Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Horticulture is the art and science of plant cultivation Horticulturists (or horticuluralists) work and conduct research in the fields of Plant propagation Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Urban Agriculture and Peri-Urban Agriculture is the practice of cultivating processing and distributing food in or around (peri-urban a village town or city City farms are community-run projects in Urban areas which involve people working with animals and plants Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on Crop rotation, Green manure, Compost, Biological pest control, and mechanical Cultivation A herb farm is usually a Farm where Herbs are grown for market sale A hobby farm is a Smallholding or small farm that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income Intercropping is the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time (Andrews & Kassam 1976 A harvest festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American Holiday, which is a form of harvest festival. Agriculture was developed at least 10000 years ago and it has undergone significant developments since the time of the earliest cultivation A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. Weed control is the botanical component of Pest control, stopping weeds from reaching a mature stage of growth when they could be harmful to Domesticated Plants " Enterprises where livestock are raised on rangeland are called ranches. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle Where livestock are raised in confinement on feed produced elsewhere, the term feedlot is usually used

In 1910 there were 6,406,000 farms and 10,174,000 family workers; In 2000 there were only 2,172,000 farms and 2,062,300 family workers. Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food A feedlot or feedyard is a type of Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO (also known as " Factory farming " which is used for finishing livestock ^[3]

Michelsen Farmstead Provincial Historic Site of Alberta, Stirling Agricultural Village

In the United States, eighty-one percent of all farmworkers are migrant workers, and seventy-one percent are foreign-born. The Michelsen Farmstead is a typical Farmstead of the 1890s era located in the National Historic Site, Stirling Alberta. This is a list of provincial historic sites of Alberta. These are museums and historic sites run by the Government Stirling Agricultural Village is a National Historic Site of Canada, and was listed as one of only three communities in Canada designated as a National expatriate foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a Citizen. Eighty percent of farmworkers are men, with the average age being 31. Additionally, farmworkers earn less than $75,000 per year, making an average hourly rate of less than $27. 00. On average, farmworker families earn $10,000 per year, which is significantly below the 2005 U. S. poverty level of $19,874 for a family of four. ^[4]

In 2007, corn acres are expected to increase by 15% because of the high demand for ethanol, both in and outside of the U. S. Producers are expecting to plant 90. 5 million acres (366,000 km²) of corn, making it the largest corn crop since 1944. ^[5]

Australia

Farming is a significant economic sector in Australia. A farm is an area of land used for primary production which will include buildings.

Where most of the income is from some other employment, and the farm is really an expanded residence, the term hobby farm is common. This will allow sufficient size for recreational use but be very unlikely to produce sufficient income to be self-sustaining. Hobby farms are commonly around 5 acres but may be much larger depending upon land prices (which vary regionally).

Often very small farms used for intensive primary production are referred to by the specialization they are being used for, such as a dairy rather than a dairy farm, a piggery, a market garden, etc. This also applies to feedlots, which are specifically developed to a single purpose and are often not able to be used for more general purpose (mixed) farming practices.

In remote areas farms can become quite large. As with estates in England, there is no defined size or method of operation at which a large farm becomes a station. Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for Livestock production

Regardless of size, the term station is only used for farms where the main activity is grazing. Some cotton farms in north-western New South Wales or south-western Queensland have been formed by combining previous sheep stations once sufficient water has become available to allow cotton to be grown . Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent

Farm buildings

A pastoral farm scene with a classic red barn.

Farms require buildings to facilitate the action of farming the material at hand. In Architecture, Construction, Engineering and real estate development the word building may refer to one of the following Any man-made Such buildings can include a farm house (for the farmers), a grain silo (for storing grain), and a barn (for the storing of certain animals. Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a Farm. It is a type of Building or House which serves a Residential purpose in a A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in Agriculture to store grain (see Grain elevators or fermented feed A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace )

Farm equipment

Main article: Farm equipment

• Baler
• Combine harvester
• Farm tractor
• Mower
• Pickup truck
• Plough

See also

• Agriculture
• Smallholding
• Farm Shop
• Museum of Scottish Country Life

Notes

References