Category: F

Follicle: 1. The small structure in the skin from which each hair develops. 2. One of many small structures in the ovaries where egg cells develop. Properly managing follicles ensures animal health and reproductive success.

free-range: Referring to livestock, especially poultry, that are allowed to roam freely. Free-range farming practices can improve animal welfare and product quality.

Fallopian Tube: In mammals, a tube that conveys eggs from an ovary to the womb. Understanding reproductive anatomy helps farmers in breeding and managing livestock health.

Feed Preparation: The milling and crushing of grain, mixing of the ingredients, and making into cubes or pellets. Proper feed preparation ensures balanced diets and supports livestock health.

Faeces: Solid waste matter passed from the bowels of a human or other animal after food has been eaten and digested. (The US spelling is feces.) Effective disposal and treatment of faeces help maintain farm hygiene, reduce disease risk, and can be used in composting to enhance soil fertility.

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

Fawn: A young deer. Understanding the needs and behavior of fawns helps farmers manage wildlife and livestock interactions.

FISS: Abbreviation for Food Industry Sustainability Strategy. This strategy promotes sustainable development across the food supply chain, helping farmers adopt practices that protect the environment and ensure long-term productivity.

FoE: Abbreviation for Friends of the Earth. This organization advocates for environmental protection and sustainable farming practices.

Feedlot: An area of land where livestock are kept at a high density, with small pens in which the animals are fattened. All feed is brought into the feedlot from outside sources. Efficient feedlot management supports high-density livestock production.

Feedstuff: Food for farm animals. Also called feedingstuff. Providing high-quality feedstuff is essential for livestock health and productivity.

Flightless Bird: A bird with small wings that cannot fly, e.g., an ostrich or a penguin. Understanding the care and management of flightless birds supports diverse farming operations.

Fallow Crop: A crop grown in widely spaced rows, allowing for hoeing and cultivation between the rows. This practice helps manage soil health and weed control.

Fat: A white oily substance in the body of mammals, which stores energy and protects against cold. In farming, managing animal fat levels is important for meat quality and marketability.

Farm Manager: A person who runs a farm on behalf of the owner. Farm managers ensure that farm operations are efficient, productive, and sustainable.

Flockmaster: A farm worker in charge of a flock of sheep or goats. Effective flock management by a flockmaster ensures the health and productivity of the flock.

Fox: A carnivorous canine predator (Vulpes vulpes) with red fur and a large bushy tail. Managing fox populations through proper practices helps protect livestock and maintain ecological balance.

Flail: A wooden hand tool used for beating grain to separate the seeds from the waste parts. Proper use of flails supports traditional farming practices and efficient grain processing.

Feedmill: A mill for preparing animal feed. Proper operation of a feedmill ensures consistent quality and supply of feed for livestock.

Feedstuff: Food for farm animals. Also called feedingstuff. Providing high-quality feedstuff is essential for livestock health and productivity.

Flatten: To become flat or make something flat. To make plants lie flat on the ground. Flattened stems by a roller-crusher. Properly managing flattened crops ensures easier harvesting and reduces crop loss.

Finish: To feed cattle or sheep at a rate of growth that increases the ratio of muscle to bone and the proportion of fatty tissue in the carcass to a level fit for slaughter. Proper finishing practices ensure high-quality meat and marketability.

Foldland: An area of land allotted to each manor for the purpose of grazing the manor’s sheep. Understanding historical land use practices supports the management of grazing systems.

Foliage: The leaves on plants. Properly managing foliage supports plant health, photosynthesis, and crop yields.

Foodstuff: Something that can be used as food, such as cereals, vegetables, and other foodstuffs. Properly managing foodstuffs ensures high-quality food production and marketability.

Fertilise: 1. (of a sperm) to join with an ovum. 2. (of a male) to make a female pregnant. 3. To put fertiliser on crops or soil. Proper fertilisation practices enhance crop growth and soil health.

Farmer’s Lung: A type of asthma caused by an allergy to rotting hay. Awareness and prevention of farmer’s lung help protect the respiratory health of farm workers.

Farrowing: The act of giving birth to piglets. Managing farrowing properly ensures the health and productivity of sows and piglets.

Fineness Count: A scale used to assess the fineness of wool fibres. Understanding wool fineness helps farmers produce high-quality wool for the textile industry.

Fallen Stock: Dead animals on a farm. Proper disposal and management of fallen stock are crucial for biosecurity and preventing the spread of diseases.

French Bean: A common green vegetable (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown for sale fresh or for processing as canned, frozen, or dried vegetables. Properly managing French beans ensures high-quality vegetable production and marketability.

Flights: Same as flight feathers. Proper care of flight feathers ensures bird health and welfare.

FBS: Abbreviation for Farm Business Survey. This survey provides valuable data on farm financial performance, helping farmers make informed business decisions.

First Calver: A cow that has produced its first calf. Proper care of first calvers supports their transition into productive dairy or breeding animals.

Forester: A person who manages woodland and plantations of trees. Proper forest management practices ensure sustainable timber production and environmental health.

Food Chain: A series of organisms that pass energy and minerals from one to another as each provides food for the next. Understanding food chains helps farmers manage ecosystems and support biodiversity on their farms.

Forget-Me-Not: A widespread weed (Myosotis arvensis) found in all soils, especially near woodland. Properly managing forget-me-nots helps maintain crop health and biodiversity.

Farm-Saved Seed: Seed kept from the previous year’s harvest and replanted on the same farm. Also called home-saved seed. Using farm-saved seed can reduce costs and maintain local crop varieties.

Fresh: Not tinned or frozen. Properly managing fresh food production ensures high-quality products and consumer satisfaction.

Fowl Sick: Referring to land that has become infested with parasites due to being used for free-range hens for too long a period of time. Properly managing and rotating free-range areas help prevent fowl sick and maintain soil and poultry health.

Feeder: 1. Something which supplies or adds to something else of the same type. 2. A container from which livestock are fed. Proper use of feeders ensures efficient feeding and reduces waste.

FUW: Abbreviation for Farmers’ Union of Wales. This union provides valuable resources and advocacy for farmers, supporting their interests and promoting sustainable farming practices.

Fishery: The commercial activity of catching fish. Fish farms provide sustainable sources of fish for food and support local economies.

Farm Consolidation: The process of joining small plots of land together to form larger farms or bringing scattered units together to form large fields. Farm consolidation can improve efficiency and productivity by enabling better use of machinery and resources.

Full-Time Worker: A farmworker engaged full-time in work on a farm. Properly managing full-time workers supports efficient farm operations and productivity.

Flour: A soft fine powder made from ground cereal grains, used for making bread. Properly managing flour production ensures high-quality food products and marketability.

Field Beans: Used for stock feeding or for producing broad beans, which are the immature seeds used for human consumption. Growing field beans provides nutritious feed for livestock and can be a valuable crop rotation option.

Friable: Referring to something such as soil that is light and crumbles easily into fragments. Managing friable soils supports efficient planting and crop growth.

Fixation: The act of fixing something. Nitrogen fixation. Understanding nitrogen fixation helps farmers manage soil fertility and improve crop growth.

Faults: The proportion of rotten or diseased items in a quantity of produce sold. Reducing faults through proper handling and storage improves product quality and marketability.