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Glossary of Terms (as used in the lessons) F is for . . . |
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| fallow farming | Leaving cropland idle, unplowed and unplanted to restore productivity through accumulation of moisture. |
| farm | The fields, buildings, animals and personnel used for the purpose of producing agricultural products. |
| farrow | To give birth to (a litter of pigs). |
| fat | The ester of glycerol and one, two, or three fatty acids. |
| fava bean | An annual Old World plant in the pea family, also called "broad bean." It is the bean of antiquity. |
| feedlot | A place where cattle are kept in a small space and fed special food so they will grow larger. |
| feral | Domesticated animal living in the wild. |
| fertile | Rich in the material needed to support life. |
| fertilizer | Any of a large number of natural and synthetic materials, including manure and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compounds, spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth. |
| fiber | A natural or synthetic filament, as of cotton, wool or nylon, capable of being spun into yarn; One of the elongated, thick-walled cells that give strength and support to plant tissue. |
| flats | shallow box-like trays designed to hold eight quart baskets or containers of certain fruits and vegetables, like strawberries. |
| flax | A plant grown for its fiber, used in making linen, and for its seed, used to make linseed oil. |
| fleece | The wool of a sheep cut once a year and spun into yarn. The wool is used to make sweaters, caps, coats, socks, blankets and other coverings. |
| flint | A very hard, fine-grained quartz that sparks when struck with steel. |
| flock | A group of animals that live, travel or feed together. |
| flora | Plants that grow without cultivation in a given area. |
| fodder | Feed for livestock, often consisting of coarsely chopped stalks and leaves of corn mixed with hay. |
| foliage | A cluster of leaves. |
| folic acid | A vitamin found in poultry and liver, navy beans, dark-green leafy vegetables, nuts, fresh oranges and fortified cereals and whole-wheat products which helps in the making of red blood cells and is essential in normal protein metabolism. |
| food | Materials, usually of plant or animal origin, containing or consisting of essential body nutrients that is take in and assimilated by an organism to maintain life and grow. |
| Food Guide Pyramid | A model developed by the US Food and Drug Administration to help consumers understand daily nutritional requirements. |
| forage |
Food for domesticated animals. |
| forcing | To cause to grow by artificially accelerating the normal processes. |
| forest | A dense growth of trees and other plants covering a large area. |
| forestry | The science and art of cultivating, maintaining and developing forests. |
| 4-H | A program of the US Cooperative States Research Education and Extension Service founded in 1900 to provide local educational clubs for youth between the ages of 9 and 19. The program is designed to foster character development and good citizenship through hands-on learning. |
| free-range | Animals or fowl that are free to roam about looking for food to sustain life. |
| frond | The leaf of a fern. |
| frontier | The margin between the occupied land and the wilderness in the settlement of the US. |
| frugal | Careful, thrifty management of resources, such as money, materials, or labor. |
| fruit | The ripened ovary or ovaries of a seed-bearing plant, together with accessory parts, containing the seeds and occurring in a wide variety of forms. |
| fryer chicken | A small young chicken suitable for frying. |
| fuel | Nutritive material metabolized by a living organism; food. |
| fungicide | A substance that destroys or inhibits the growth of fungi. |
| fungus | Any of numerous plants lacking in chlorophyll, including yeasts, molds and mushrooms. |
| furrow | A trench made in the earth by a plow. |
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