Farmer 58688 223590660 2008-07-04T19:44:24Z BartekPtaszyński 7384760 {{otheruses}} {{unreferenced|date=February 2008}} [[Image:Old farmer woman.JPG|thumb|Eastern European farmer]] [[Image:Man in agriculture.jpg|thumb|right| Western European farmer]] A '''farmer''' is a person who is engaged in [[agriculture]], raising living organisms for food or raw materials. This is a [[lifestyle|way of life]] that had long been the dominant occupation of human beings since the dawn of civilization. Related, but much different, is [[Gardening#Comparison with farming|gardening]]. ==Definition== The term ''farmer'' usually applies to a person who grows field [[crops]], and/or manages [[orchard]]s or [[vineyard]]s, or raises [[livestock]] or [[poultry]]. Their products are usually sold in a [[market]] or, in a subsistence economy, consumed by the family or pooled by the community. In some countries a farmer engaged in raising horses, cattle, or sheep for meat is usually referred to as a [[Ranching|''rancher'']] (US), ''[[Grazier (Australian agriculture)|grazier]]'' (Australia) or ''stockman''. Special terms also apply to other people who [[Animal husbandry|husband]] domesticated animals, namely ''[[shepherd]]'' for [[Domestic sheep|sheep]] farmers and ''[[goatherd]]'' for [[goat]] farmers. These terms almost always refer to livestock operations that use unmanaged rangeland and must import most, if not all, supplemental feed. When livestock are raised on well-managed pastureland and/or most silage is grown on-site, most practitioners refer to themselves as farmers. The term ''[[dairy]] farmer'' is applied to those engaged milk production. A ''[[poultry]] farmer'' is one who concentrates on raising [[chicken]]s, [[Turkey (bird)|turkeys]], [[Domestication|domesticated]] [[duck]]s and [[goose|geese]], or is involved in [[Egg (food)|egg]] production. A person who raises a variety of vegetables for market may be called a ''truck farmer'' or ''market gardener''. In the context of [[developing nation]]s or other pre-industrial cultures, most farmers practice a meager [[subsistence agriculture]] – a simple [[organic farming]] system employing [[crop rotation]], [[slash and burn]], or other techniques to maximize efficiency while meeting the needs of the household or community, using [[saved seed]] which is native to the [[ecoregion]]. In [[developed nation]]s however, a person using such techniques on small patches of land might be called a [[gardener]] and be considered a [[hobbyist]]. Alternatively, one may be driven into such methods by [[poverty]] or, ironically--against the background of large-scale agribusiness--may become an organic farmer growing for discerning consumers in the [[local food]] market. 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 [[agriculture|crops]] or [[livestock]], and who provides land or management in their production. Those who provide only labor are most often called ''farmhands''. Alternatively, growers who manage farmland for an absentee landowner, sharing the harvest (or its profits) are known as ''[[sharecropper]]s'' or ''sharefarmers''. In the context of [[agribusiness]], a farmer can be almost anyone – and can legally qualify under [[agricultural policy]] for various [[subsidy|subsidies]], incentives, and [[tax relief]]. ==See also== {{Commonscat|Farmers}} *[[Agriculture]] *[[Agribusiness]] *[[Gardening]] *[[Landed gentry]] *[[Organic farming]] *[[Sustainable agriculture]] [[Category:Agricultural occupations]] [[Category:Farmers| ]] [[pl:Rolnik]] [[th:ชาวนา]] [[tg:Кишоварз]] [[yi:פארמער]] [[zh:农民]]