Glossary of Agriculture, Livestock, and Farming Terms

Educational Resources > Agriculture, Livestock, and Farming Terms


Every Agriculture, Livestock, and Farming Term You Need to Know

Modern farming involves a lot more than planting seeds and waiting for them to grow. It's a complex mix of science, business, and hands-on labor that uses specialized tools, techniques, and vocabulary. For those who didn't grow up around agriculture, many of these terms can sound unfamiliar or confusing. Whether you're curious about how farms operate today, you're researching for a school project, or you just want to better understand where your food comes from, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with some common farming and agricultural terms.

Acre: A unit of measurement for land, especially farmland. One acre equals 43,560 square feet.

Agribusiness: Everything involved in the business side of farming, from growing crops and raising animals to selling the products, upgrading equipment, and turning a profit

Agriculture: The practice of growing plants and raising animals for food, materials, or other uses

Agronomy: The science of how to grow crops and manage soil for farming

Aquaculture: A type of farming that happens in water. It includes raising fish or growing water plants like seaweed or rice.

Barn: A big building on a farm, usually with a pitched roof, used to house animals, store feed, or hold equipment

Bovine: Cattle or anything related to raising cows

Bushel: A unit used to measure dry goods like grain or fruit. One bushel equals 64 pints.

Co-Op: A group of farmers who team up to help each other. They might share equipment, sell goods together, or buy supplies in bulk to save money.

Combine: A large machine used to harvest grain crops. It cuts, separates, and processes the grain all at once.

Commodity: A crop or farm product that's sold in markets and traded on exchanges, such as corn, wheat, or oranges

Compost: Decomposed organic material made from food scraps and other natural waste that's used to improve soil and help plants grow

Contour Farming: A method of planting across the natural slope of the land to reduce erosion caused by rainwater running downhill

Cover Crop: A temporary crop planted mainly to protect and improve the soil between growing seasons

Crop: Any plant that's grown and harvested, either for food, animal feed, or sale

Crop Rotation: Changing which crops are grown in a field each season to keep the soil healthy and prevent pests and disease.

Erosion: When soil gets worn away by wind or water

Ethanol: A type of fuel made from crops like corn. It's alcohol-based and used as an alternative to gasoline.

Feed: Food given to farm animals. Types of feed include roughage (like hay), concentrates (like grains), and mixed feeds.

Fertilizer: A substance added to soil to give crops nutrients they need to grow

Fodder: The leftover parts of plants, like stalks or leaves, that are used to feed animals

Fungicide: A chemical used to kill or stop the growth of fungi that harm crops

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO): A plant whose genes have been changed in a lab to make it grow better, resist pests, or last longer. GMOs are controversial due to concerns about biodiversity and long-term effects.

Herbicide: A chemical used to kill unwanted plants, like weeds

Irrigation: The process of watering crops using tools like sprinklers, hoses, or ditches

Organic: Crops grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals

Pesticide: A substance used to kill bugs that damage crops

Silage: Animal feed (usually grass or corn) that's stored in airtight conditions so it stays fresh through the winter

Silo: A tall, cylinder-shaped building where silage or grain is stored

Thinning: Removing weaker plants so that stronger ones get more light, water, and nutrients

Tillage: Breaking up and turning over the soil to get it ready for planting

Agriculture Education and Farm to School Programs