How to talk farming

Jan 25, 2021


What’s the difference between a filly and a foal? What about tillage and no-till farming? What does “aquaponics” mean? These and many other questions are answered in a new publication from University of Tennessee Extension.

How to ‘Talk’ Farming: A Beginning Farmer’s Guide to Agriculture Words, Terms and Definitions (W 941) is a new publication developed to assist new and beginning farmers with terms and definitions used in the modern agriculture industry.

“Language is constantly changing, and that’s true in the field of agriculture as well,” states Troy Dugger, program coordinator for the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture in Columbia. “Farmers and producers who are new to agriculture or are just beginning in the field may struggle when they encounter unfamiliar terms. The goal of this publication is to decrease that possibility and introduce new terms in a digestible way.”

The publication contains over 200 terms and definitions from various agriculture sectors. Terms related to cattle production, small ruminants, horticulture, crop production, and more are included. In addition to serving as a great resource for those new to farming, the publication may also be used by agriculture-focused educators across Tennessee.

“The list is certainly not exhaustive, and there are many words, terms, and definitions used in agriculture that were not included,” adds Dugger. “But the hope is that this document and the terms used in this guide will be a useful and valuable tool for those starting their agriculture endeavors.”

In addition to Dugger, the resource was compiled by Mitchell Mote, UT Extension Rutherford County; Andrew Griffith, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics; and Kevin Rose, UT Extension Giles County.

You can access a copy of the publication at https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W941.pdf
 
 

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