Farmer

Farmer is an individual engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer might own the farmed land or might work as a laborer on land owned by others, but in advanced economies, a farmer is usually a farm owner, while employees of the farm are known as farm workers, or farmhands.

History

Historically, one subsisting in this way may have been known as a peasant. In developed nations, a farmer (as a profession) is usually defined as someone with an ownership interest in crops or livestock, and who provides land or management in their production. Farmers obtain their financial income from the cultivation of land to yield crops or the commercial raising of animals (animal husbandry). Those who provide only labor are most often called farmhands. Others who might be farmers include those who keep an orchard, a greenhouse, a vineyard, or raise poultry, or other livestock.

Types of Farmers

Farmers can be divided into several types depending on the type of farming they are involved in. These include:

• Crop farmers - These farmers cultivate crops for consumption or for sale. They may specialize in a single crop or a variety of crops.
• Livestock farmers - These farmers raise animals for meat, dairy, and other products. They may specialize in a single type of animal or a variety of animals.
• Poultry farmers - These farmers raise chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other birds for their meat and eggs.
• Fish farmers - These farmers raise fish in ponds or tanks for consumption.
• Organic farmers - These farmers use organic methods to grow crops and raise animals. They avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and they do not use genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Challenges

Farmers face numerous challenges, including climate change, market prices, and access to land and water. They also face the challenge of maintaining the health and productivity of their soil, plants, and animals.

See Also

• Agriculture
• Animal husbandry
• Peasant
• Farmhand
• Crop farming
• Livestock farming
• Poultry farming
• Fish farming
• Organic farming

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