Category: F

Frond: A large compound leaf divided into many sections, such as that found on ferns and palm trees. Properly managing fronds supports plant health and biodiversity.

Flint: A hard stone of nearly pure silica, found in lumps in chalk soils. Properly managing flint in soils helps prevent damage to farm machinery and improve soil workability.

Fluke: A parasitic flatworm. Proper monitoring and control of fluke infestations ensure livestock health and productivity.

Fatstock: Livestock fattened for meat production. Proper feeding and management of fatstock ensure high-quality meat and profitable market returns.

Feather: An outgrowth of the epidermis on a bird’s body and wings providing insulation. Proper management of poultry feathers ensures bird health and product quality.

Furrow Press: A special type of very heavy ring roller attached to the plough, used to press the furrow slices. Properly using furrow presses supports efficient soil management and crop establishment.

Fatty: Containing a lot of fat. Fatty foods contribute to the risk of obesity. Farmers must balance livestock diets to maintain animal health and product quality.

Fell: A high area of open moorland in the north of England. Fells can be used for grazing livestock, providing a natural and sustainable source of forage.

French Nettle: Same as red dead-nettle. Properly managing French nettles helps maintain crop health and biodiversity.

Fill-Belly: Feed that fills the animal’s stomach without providing any useful nutrients. Proper feed formulation ensures animals receive balanced nutrition and maintain optimal health.

Freestone: Referring to varieties of peach where the flesh does not cling to the stone. Properly managing freestone peach varieties ensures high-quality fruit production.

Feather Eating: The pulling of the feathers of a bird by another bird. Addressing feather eating through proper nutrition and management practices prevents harm to poultry.

Frost Pocket: A low-lying area where cold air collects. Properly managing frost pockets helps protect crops from frost damage and ensure healthy growth.

Food Standards Agency: A British government agency set up in 2000 to offer advice on food safety and quality. Abbr FSA. This agency provides valuable guidance to farmers on best practices for food safety and quality.

Fruit: The structure of a plant formed after flowering and usually containing seeds. Properly managing fruit production ensures high-quality crops and marketability.

Feed Off: The practice of allowing stock to feed on a crop while it is still in the ground. This method can help manage crop residues and provide additional nutrition for livestock.

Farrowing Fever: A disease of pigs caused by inflammation of the womb. Pigs suffer high temperatures and loss of appetite. Also called MMA. Early detection and treatment of farrowing fever are crucial for maintaining pig health and productivity.

Furrow Irrigation: Irrigation technique where water is allowed to flow along furrows. Properly managing furrow irrigation ensures efficient water use and crop irrigation.

Fenland Rotation: A system of crop rotation developed on the Fens of East Anglia, using potatoes, sugar beet, and wheat in rotation. This rotation helps maintain soil fertility and reduce pest and disease pressures.

Fowl Pox: A viral disease in which wart-like nodules appear on the comb, wattles, eyelids, and openings of the nostrils of fowls. Properly managing fowl pox through vaccination and biosecurity measures ensures poultry health and productivity.

FER: Abbreviation for Farm Environment Record. Keeping an environment record helps farmers monitor and improve their environmental practices.

Feedingstuff: Same as feedstuff. Providing high-quality feedingstuff ensures optimal nutrition and health for livestock.

Friesland: A breed of sheep whose milk is used in the production of soft cheese and yoghurt. Properly managing Friesland sheep supports high-quality dairy product production and farm diversification.

Futures: Stocks of produce bought or sold for shipping at some later date, which may not even have been produced when they are on the market. Properly managing futures contracts supports farm financial planning and market responsiveness.

Forage Wagon: A mobile container with a pick-up attachment used for collecting and carrying cut forage. Using forage wagons supports efficient feed transportation and livestock management.

Functional Food: Food designed to be medically beneficial, helping to protect against serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. Also called nutraceutical, neutraceutical. Properly managing functional food production supports livestock health and consumer wellbeing.

Febrile Disease: A disease such as Newcastle disease, accompanied by a fever. Early detection and treatment of febrile diseases help prevent livestock losses and maintain herd health.

Free-Running Sleeve: A loose sleeve fitted over shafts to stop clothing from becoming entangled by riding on the shaft if contact is made, e.g., on manure spreader beater drive shafts. Properly using free-running sleeves enhances farm safety.

Fatty Liver: A condition in older cows where the animal absorbs calcium too slowly, affecting the liver. Goats are also affected. Preventing and managing fatty liver is essential for maintaining the health and productivity of livestock.

Freedom Food: An RSPCA scheme that sets out guidelines for the welfare of livestock and labels food from participating suppliers. Adhering to Freedom Food guidelines ensures ethical and humane treatment of livestock.

Frits: Trace elements fused with silica to form glass. This is crushed into small pieces for distribution on the soil. Properly managing frits supports soil health and plant nutrition.

Food Hygiene: The series of actions taken to ensure clean, healthy conditions for handling, storing, and serving food. Proper food hygiene practices ensure food safety and quality.

Frequently Asked Questions: A document containing common questions and their answers related to a particular subject. Abbr FAQ. Providing FAQs helps farmers access important information and make informed decisions.

Fortified Food: Food with vitamins or proteins added to make it more nutritional. Providing fortified food ensures high-quality nutrition for livestock and supports their health and productivity.

Followers: Young cows in a dairy herd that are not yet in milk and are being reared to replace the older stock. Properly managing followers ensures a continuous supply of productive dairy cows.

Foaling: The act of giving birth to a foal. Proper management of foaling ensures the health and welfare of mares and foals.

Fodder Radish: A type of brassica grown primarily for use as a green fodder crop. Growing fodder radish provides nutritious feed for livestock and supports soil health.

Fagopyrum: The Latin name for buckwheat, a plant cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat is beneficial for farmers as it improves soil health, prevents erosion, and provides a nutritious food source.

Fodder Beet: A root crop bred from sugar beet and mangolds, usually grown after cereals and used to feed stock. Properly managing fodder beet production ensures a valuable feed source for livestock.

Frog: 1. The part of a plough to which the mouldboard and share are attached. 2. A tough flexible pad in the middle of the sole of a horse’s hoof. Properly managing frogs ensures efficient plough operation and horse health.

Food Safety: The issues surrounding the production, handling, storage, and cooking of food that determine whether or not it is safe to eat. Properly managing food safety ensures high-quality food products and protects public health.

First Calf Heifer: A heifer that has borne its first calf. Managing first calf heifers ensures their health and productivity as they enter the milking herd.

Forward Creep Grazing: A grazing method where grassland allocated to ewes and lambs during the fattening period is divided into paddocks separated by portable fencing. Moving the fencing allows the animals to access new areas as one is finished. Properly managing forward creep grazing ensures efficient pasture use and livestock nutrition.

Foot Rot: A disease of the horny parts and soft tissue of sheep’s feet, occurring particularly in wet marshy and badly-drained pastures, caused primarily by the organism Fusiformis necrophorus and sometimes Fusiformis nodosus. Managing foot rot through proper practices ensures sheep health and productivity.

Farrier: A person who makes and fits shoes for horses. Proper hoof care by a farrier ensures the health and performance of horses on a farm.

Fescue: A common name for about 100 species of grasses, including many valuable pasture and fodder species. Growing fescue provides nutritious forage for livestock and supports sustainable pasture management.

Fair Average Quality: The average quality of agricultural produce based on samples taken from bulk. Abbr FAQ. Understanding fair average quality helps farmers meet market standards and ensures consistent product quality for better sales and customer satisfaction.

Felling Licence: Permission from the Forestry Commission to fell trees. Managing tree felling with proper licences ensures sustainable forestry practices and environmental protection.

Flight Feathers: The main feathers on a bird’s wing, properly called the ‘primaries’. Managing flight feathers is important for the health and welfare of poultry and other birds on the farm.

Fruitwood: The wood from a fruit tree such as apple or cherry, which may be used to make furniture. Properly managing fruitwood supports timber production and farm diversification.