Category: F

Farm to Fork: The chain of food supply from the farm where it is produced to the consumer. Understanding this chain helps farmers improve food safety, quality, and traceability.

Free: Not attached, confined, or controlled. Ensuring livestock and crops have free access to necessary resources supports their health and productivity.

Feed Stance: An open stall in a building where animals can feed. Proper design of feed stances ensures efficient feeding and animal comfort.

Flock: A large group of birds or some farm animals such as sheep and goats. Managing flocks effectively ensures animal health and productivity.

Farm Business Survey: A survey carried out by Defra on the financial performance of different types of farms. Abbr FBS. This survey helps farmers benchmark their performance and make informed business decisions.

Fauna: The wild animals and birds that live naturally in a specific area. Compare flora. Protecting fauna supports biodiversity and ecological balance on farms.

Farmed: Grown or produced commercially and not in the wild. For example, farmed salmon. Farmed products help meet market demand and can be managed sustainably.

Food Safety Act 1990: Legislation setting hygiene standards for food producers and suppliers. This act helps ensure food safety and quality, benefiting farmers and consumers.

Floury: Soft and powdery, like flour. Floury potatoes are varieties that turn easily into flour when cooked. Growing floury potatoes provides a valuable food source and supports diverse crop production.

Fair: A regular meeting for the sale of goods or animals, often with sideshows and other entertainments. Fairs provide farmers with opportunities to market their products, network with other farmers, and learn about new farming techniques and technologies.

FAC: Abbreviation for Food Advisory Committee. This committee provides guidance on food safety and standards, ensuring that farmers’ products meet regulatory requirements and are safe for consumption, thereby protecting public health and enhancing marketability.

Field Crop: A crop grown over a wide area, e.g., most agricultural crops and some market-garden crops. Effective field crop management ensures high yields and sustainable farming practices.

Farmscape: A landscape dominated by agriculture. Farmland is the main element in farmscape, though non-agricultural uses may be included. Creating a balanced farmscape supports both productivity and environmental health.

Food Mile: A measure of the distance that food is transported from its place of origin to the consumer. Managing food miles supports sustainable food systems and reduces environmental impact.

Flower: The reproductive part of a seed-bearing plant. Properly managing flower development ensures successful pollination and fruit production.

Fuelwood: Wood grown to be used as fuel. Properly managing fuelwood supports sustainable energy use and reduces reliance on fossil fuels.

Food Industry Sustainability Strategy: A set of policies promoting sustainable development for producers and suppliers at each point along the food supply chain. Abbr FISS. This strategy helps farmers adopt practices that protect the environment and ensure long-term productivity.

Following Crop: A crop sown by a tenant farmer before leaving the farm at the end of their tenancy. Properly managing following crops ensures efficient land use and crop rotation.

Fine Grains: High-quality grains such as those of wheat and rice. Compare coarse grains. Producing fine grains meets market demand and ensures high-quality food products.

Flushing Ewes: Ewes brought into good condition before breeding, usually by improving their diet. Properly managing flushing ensures reproductive success and flock productivity.

FCR: Abbreviation for feed conversion rate. Monitoring FCR helps farmers enhance feed efficiency and animal growth, leading to better productivity and profitability.

Fee: Money paid to a professional for a service. Farmers often pay fees for veterinary services, consultations, and other professional support to maintain farm operations.

Flail Forage Harvester: A type of forage harvester that uses a high-speed flail rotor. The cut crop passes through a vertical chute and is discharged into a trailer. Using a flail forage harvester ensures efficient harvesting and feed preparation.

Farrand Test: A method for determining the alpha amylase content of milling wheat. The amount of alpha amylase enzyme present in wheat is important for making bread. Excessive alpha amylase in flour results in poorer loaves. This test helps farmers and millers ensure the quality of their wheat.

Food Supply: 1. The production of food and the way in which it gets to the consumer. 2. A stock of food. Properly managing food supply ensures food security and supports farm productivity.

Farrowing Crate: A steel frame holding the sow during farrowing to help prevent the overlying of piglets. This crate improves piglet survival rates and supports sow welfare.

Forage Feeding: The practice of cutting herbage from a sward or foliage from other crops for feeding fresh to animals. Properly managing forage feeding ensures high-quality nutrition and livestock health.

Filament: The stalk of a stamen, carrying an anther. Understanding plant anatomy, including filaments, helps farmers manage pollination and improve crop yields.

Free-Range Eggs: Eggs from hens that are allowed to run about in the open and eat more natural food. Properly managing free-range hens ensures high-quality egg production and animal welfare.

False Seedbed: A seedbed prepared to allow weed seeds to germinate, which are then killed by cultivation before sowing root crops. This method helps manage weed populations and improve crop yields.

Fumigant: A chemical compound that becomes a gas or smoke when heated and is used to kill insects. Properly managing fumigants supports effective pest control and farm hygiene.

Food Coloring: A substance used to color food. Properly managing the use of food coloring ensures food safety and quality.

Female: Referring to an animal that produces ova and bears young. Understanding female reproductive anatomy and health is crucial for successful breeding programs.

Folded Sheep: Sheep kept in movable folds as a means of controlling their grazing. Properly managing folded sheep supports efficient grazing and pasture management.

Flock: A large group of birds or some farm animals such as sheep and goats. Managing flocks effectively ensures animal health and productivity.

Field: 1. An area of land, usually surrounded by a fence or hedge, used for growing crops or for pasture. 2. An area of interest or activity. Proper field management ensures productive farming and sustainable land use.

Feed Passage: 1. The rate at which feed passes through an animal’s digestive system. 2. The area in a livestock shed where the feed is placed so that the animals can access it. Managing feed passage ensures efficient digestion and nutrient absorption.

Flea: A small jumping insect that lives as a parasite on animals, sucking their blood and possibly spreading disease. Order: Siphonaptera. Effective flea control is essential for maintaining livestock health and preventing disease transmission.

Farm Rent: Rent paid by a tenant farmer to a landlord on a regular basis for the use of the farm holding. Understanding farm rent agreements helps farmers manage their finances and maintain good landlord relationships.

FWAG: Abbreviation for Farm and Wildlife Advisory Group. This group provides valuable resources and guidance to farmers on environmental and conservation issues.

Foreleg: One of the two front legs of an animal, as opposed to the hind legs. Proper care of forelegs ensures the health and mobility of livestock.

FAWC: Abbreviation for Farm Animal Welfare Council. This council provides guidelines and reviews to ensure the ethical treatment and welfare of farm animals.

F1: In breeding experiments, the first generation of offspring from a cross between two different plants or animals. F1 hybrids often exhibit hybrid vigor, resulting in improved yield, disease resistance, and overall better performance, beneficial for farming productivity.

Fly-Tipping: The dumping of rubbish somewhere other than at an official site. Proper waste management practices prevent fly-tipping and protect farm environments.

Feed Additive: A supplement added to the feed of farm livestock, particularly pigs and poultry, to promote growth, e.g., an antibiotic or hormone. Using feed additives responsibly enhances livestock growth and productivity.

Frit Fly: A small black fly (Oscinella frit) that attacks wheat, maize, and oats. Properly managing frit flies helps protect cereal crops and ensure healthy growth.

Fly Strike: A serious condition caused by maggots breeding on the animal’s hindquarters, which can quickly cause death from shock. Proper monitoring and treatment of fly strike ensure livestock health and welfare.

Flatworm: A worm with a flat body, a single gut opening, and no circulatory system. Phylum: Platyhelminthes. Flatworms include both free-living species and parasites such as flukes and tapeworms. Monitoring and controlling flatworm infestations help maintain animal health.

Fertiliser Distributor: A machine used to spread fertiliser. Efficient use of a fertiliser distributor ensures even application and optimal nutrient availability for crops.

Farming Systems: Different types of farming and methods of cultivation, e.g., shifting cultivation systems, ley systems, systems with permanent upland cultivation, fallow systems, grazing systems, and systems with perennial crops. Understanding various systems helps farmers choose the best practices for their land and resources.