Category: F

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.

Float: Same as Dutch harrow. Proper use of a float helps prepare seedbeds and improve soil conditions for planting.

Feeke’s Large Scale: A method of determining the growth stage of a crop by comparing plant size and leaf arrangement when the plant is young. This method helps farmers monitor crop development and plan management practices.

fertilizer: A chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase its fertility. Using fertilizers correctly is crucial for enhancing soil health and crop yields.

Fumitory: A common weed (Fumaria officinalis) affecting cereal and clover crops. Properly managing fumitory helps protect crop health and yields.

Farm Watch Scheme: A scheme organizing networks of farmers to be in touch with one another and the local police to report suspicious activity. This enhances farm security and community cooperation.

Fruiting Season: The time of year when a particular tree has fruit. Properly managing fruiting seasons supports efficient harvests and crop productivity.

Fur: A coat of hair covering an animal. Properly managing fur supports animal health and performance.

Farm Assurance: A scheme applying specific criteria to guarantee quality control for farm produce. Farm assurance programs help farmers maintain high standards and improve consumer confidence in their products.

Fetus: Another spelling of foetus. Understanding fetal development is important for managing livestock pregnancies and ensuring healthy births.

FAO: Abbreviation for Food and Agriculture Organization. This organization provides resources and guidance to farmers worldwide, promoting sustainable agriculture and food security.

Farmhand: A person who works on a farm. Farmhands are crucial for the daily operations and labor-intensive tasks on a farm.

Flood Plain: A wide flat part of the bottom of a valley usually covered with water when the river floods. Managing flood plains supports agricultural productivity and environmental health.

Finger and Toe: Same as club root. Managing this disease helps protect crop health and yields.

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.

Faverolle: A breed of poultry for table consumption. Raising Faverolle chickens provides farmers with high-quality meat and diverse poultry products.

Field Drainage: Building drains in or under fields to remove surplus water. Proper field drainage prevents waterlogging, improves soil health, and enhances crop growth.