1. Farm to Table Glossary
A
agribusiness (noun) - an industry engaged in the operations of a farm, the manufacture and
distribution of farm equipment and supplies, and the processing, storage, and distribution of farm
commodities
agriculture (noun) - the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and
raising livestock and, in varying degrees, the preparation and marketing of the resulting products
alfalfa (noun) - a deep-rooted European leguminous plant (Medicago sativa) widely grown for
hay and forage
animal husbandry (noun) - a branch of agriculture concerned with the production and care of
domestic animals
B
bacteria (n. pl.) - microorganisms that live in the soil and covert nutrients into forms usable by
plants
beef cattle (n. pl.) - cattle developed primarily for the efficient production of meat and marked
by capacity for rapid growth, heavy well-fleshed body, and stocky build
biodynamics(noun) the branch of biology emphasizing balancing the holistic development and
interrelationship of soil, plants, and animals as a closed, self-nourishing system. Regarded by
some proponents as the first modern ecological farming system, biodynamic farming includes
organic agriculture's emphasis on manures and composts and exclusion of the use of artificial
chemicals on soil and plants. Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include the use of
fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost additives and field sprays and the use of a
sowing and planting calendar.
blight (noun) - a disease or injury of plants resulting in withering, cessation of growth, and death
of parts without rotting
bovine (noun) - any of a subfamily (Bovinae) of bovids including oxen, bison, buffalo, and their
close relatives
breed (noun) - a group of animals or plants presumably related by descent from common
ancestors and visibly similar in most character
broiler (noun) - a bird fit for broiling; especially a young chicken of up to 2 1/2 pounds (1.14
kilograms) dressed weight
buck (noun) - a male animal
bull (noun) - a male bovine
bushel (noun) - any of various units of measure for dry capacity
C
calf (noun) - the young of the domestic cow; also that of a closely related mammal (bison)

2. calve (verb) - to give birth to a calf; also to produce offspring
casein (noun) – principal protein in milk, which coagulates with the addition of rennin and is the
foundation for cheese
cattle (n. pl.) - domesticated quadrupeds held as property or raised for use; specifically bovine
animals on a farm or ranch
cheese (noun) - a food consisting of the coagulated, compressed, and usually ripened curd of
milk separated from the whey
chicken (noun) - the common domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) especially when young
clutch (noun) - a nest of eggs or a brood of chicks
cold frame (noun) - a (usually) glass or plastic covered frame without artificial heat used to
protect plants and seedlings outdoors
combine (noun) - a harvesting machine that heads, threshes, and cleans grain while moving over
a field
commodity (noun) - an agricultural good
companion planting - Companion planting is the gardening practice of planting one plant in
proximity to another, due to the benefits it bestows on this "companion plant." Organic
gardeners, for instance, often juxtapose plants because the one will have insect-repelling qualities
that benefit the other, eliminating the need to use chemical pesticides. One plant can even serve
as a "mulch" for another. The benefits are shared in companion planting, making for a symbiotic
relationship.
compost (noun) - a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and used for
fertilizing and conditioning land
cow (noun) - the mature female of cattle (genus Bos)
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) - a community of individuals who pledge support
to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's
farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and
benefits of food production.
cud (noun) - food brought up into the mouth by a ruminating animal from its first stomach to be
chewed again
cull (verb) - to select from a group
cultivate (tr. verb) - to prepare and use for the raising of crops; also to loosen or break up the soil
about (growing plants)
curd (noun) - the thick casein-rich part of coagulated milk
D
dairy (noun) - a room, building, or establishment where milk is kept and butter or cheese is
made

3. doe (noun) - the adult female of various mammals (as a deer, rabbit, or kangaroo)
E
ecology (noun) - a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their
environment
ecosystem (noun) - a community of organisms and non-living things and their environment that
function as an ecological unit
environment (noun) - the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (such as climate,
soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately
determine its form and survival
erosion (noun) - to wear away topsoil by water or wind. Can also be caused by intensive
farming and overgrazing; the action or process of eroding
estrus (noun) - a regularly recurrent state during which the female of most mammals will accept
the male and is capable of conceiving
ewe (noun) - the female of the sheep especially when mature
F
fertile (adjective) - capable of sustaining abundant plant growth
fertilizer (noun) - a substance (as manure or a chemical mixture) used to make soil more fertile
filly (noun) - a young female horse usually less than four years old
flock (noun) - a group of birds or mammals assembled or herded together
foal (noun) - a young animal of the horse family; especially one under one year old
food chain (noun) - an arrangement of the organisms of an ecological community according to
the order of predation in which each uses the next, usually lower, member as a food source
G
gelding (noun) - a castrated animal; specifically a castrated male horse
goat (noun) - any of various hollow-horned ruminant mammals (especially of the genus Capra)
related to the sheep but of lighter build and with backwardly arching horns, a short tail, and
usually straight hair
grass fed - generally means beef from cattle that have eaten only grass or forage throughout their
lives, however some producers do call their beef grass fed but then actually finish the animals on
grain for the last 90 to 160 days before slaughter. Currently the United States Department of
Agriculture has not adopted an official definition of Grass fed beef
graze (verb) - to crop and eat in the field
H
habitat (noun) - the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives
and grows
harvest (verb) - to gather in (a crop)

4. hay (noun) - herbage and (especially) grass mowed and cured for fodder
heifer (noun) - a young cow; especially one that has not had a calf
heirloom vegetables - a cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human
history; non-hybrid native plant resulting from open pollination (without human intervention).
Heirlooms are not used in modern large-scale agriculture. Approximately twenty-five years ago
people started saving seeds from the remaining native varieties.
hen (noun) - a female chicken especially over a year old; broadly a female bird
herd (noun) - (1) a number of animals of one kind kept together under human control (2) a
congregation of gregarious wild animals
hoop house - structure used as a greenhouse or a season extender and is characterized by a half-
round "hoop" shape. Hoop houses are typically constructed of lengths of PVC pipe, which is
both flexible and sturdy.
humane (adj.) - marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for the treatment of animals
hybrid (noun) - an offspring of two animals or plants that are of different breeds, varieities or
species
hydroponic (adj.) - grown in water without the use of soil
I
integrated pest management (IPM) - the management of pest problems that involves use of the
full spectrum of control measures in a coordinated, integrated and foresighted manner. A
cornerstone of IPM is the idea that taking preventive steps to preclude a pest problem is
preferable to waiting for pests to arrive and then having to eradicate them.
irrigation (noun) - to supply (as land) with water by artificial means
K
kelp (noun) - (1) any of various large brown seaweeds (order Laminariales); a mass of large
seaweeds
kid (noun) - a young goat
L
lactate (verb) - to secrete milk
lamb (noun) - a young sheep; especially one that is less than one year old or without permanent
teeth
legume (noun) – any of thousands of plant species that have seed pods that split along both sides
when ripe. Some of the more common legumes used for human consumption are beans, lentils,
peanuts, peas, and soybeans
livestock (noun) - animals kept or raised for commodities or pleasure; especially farm animals
kept for use and profit

5. M
manure (noun) - material that fertilizes land; especially refuse of stables and barnyards
consisting of livestock excreta
mare (noun) - a female horse or other equine animal
microorganisms (noun) - an organism of microscopic or ultramicroscopic size
MIG (Management Intensive Grazing) - the practice of rotating livestock between pastures to
reduce overgrazing
monoculture – planting the same crop in a field year after year with no crop rotation
N
no-till farming - a method of growing grain when the farmer does not plow the field before
planting
nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and minerals that plants need to grow
nutrition (noun) - The sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes
food substances
O
organic (adv.) - of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of
feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated
fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides
organic farming -producing foods without the use of laboratory made fertilizers, growth
substances, or pesticides
organic matter - the dead plants, animals, and manure converted by earthworms and bacteria
into hummus
oxen (noun, pl.) - a domestic bovine mammal (Bostaurus)
P
paddock (noun) - usually enclosed area used especially for pasturing or exercising animals;
especially an enclosure where race horses are saddled and paraded before a race
pasture (noun) – (1) plants (grass) grown for the feeding especially of grazing animals; (2) land
or a plot of land used for grazing; (3) the feeding of livestock
pesticide - a substance that kills any pest, including insects, fungi, and weeds
photosynthesis (noun) - synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy and
especially light; especially formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of
hydrogen (as water) in the chlorophyll-containing tissues of plants exposed to light
pollinate-to fertilize by transferring pollen from the anther to the stigma of a flower
R
ram (noun) - a male sheep

6. recycle (v.) - (1) to pass again through a series of changes or treatments; process (as liquid body
waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain material for human use; recover; (2) to adapt to a new
use; alter; (3) to bring back
rooster (noun) - an adult male of various birds other than the domestic fowl
rotation - the changing of the specific fields/crops year to year
rotational grazing - periodically moving livestock to fresh paddocks, to allow pastures to
regrow
rumen (noun) - the large first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant in which cellulose is
broken down by the action of symbiotic microorganisms
ruminant (adj.) - characterized by chewing again what has been swallowed; of or relating to a
suborder (Ruminantia) of even-toed hoofed mammals (as sheep, giraffes, deer, and camels) that
chew the cud and have a complex, usually 4-chambered stomach
ruminant (noun) - ruminant mammal
S
sheep (noun) - any of various ruminant mammals (genus Ovis) related to the goats but stockier
and lacking a beard in the male; specifically one (O. aries) long domesticated especially for its
flesh and wool
silage (noun) - fodder converted into succulent feed for livestock through processes of anaerobic
acid fermentation (as in a silo)
silo (noun) - (1) a trench, pit, or especially a tall cylinder (as of wood or concrete) usually sealed
to exclude air and used for making and storing silage (2) a deep bin for storing material
stewardship-an individual's responsibility to exercise care over possessions entrusted to him or
her
sustainability (noun) - (a) of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so
that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged (b) of or relating to a lifestyle
involving the use of sustainable methods
sustainable agriculture - an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a
site-specific application that will over the long-term:
Satisfy human food and fiber needs;
Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture
economy depends;
Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate,
where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;
Sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and
Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
See U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103.
U
USDA - United States Department of Agriculture, a Federal agency involved in all phases of
agriculture

7. udder (noun) - a large pendulous organ consisting of two or more mammary glands enclosed in
a common envelope and each provided with a single nipple
W
wean (verb) - to accustom a young animal) to food other than its mother's milk; cause to lose the
need to suckle or turn to the mother for food.
weed (noun) - a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth;
especially one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants...
whey (noun) - the watery part of milk that is separated from the coagulable part or curd
especially in the process of making cheese
wool (noun) - the soft wavy or curly undercoat of various hairy mammals and especially the
sheep
Y
yearling (noun) - an animal one year old or in the second year of its age
yield - the amount of a crop produced in a given time or from a given place