Gro-pedia

to produce offspring by giving birth or by hatching

see Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

a sexually mature male bovine

Male cattle which have been castrated. The effects of castration are to make the cattle grow more quickly and to stop them reproducing.

A system of farming whereby the farmer cultivates on a piece of land for some years and later leave it for some years with the aim of restoring the fertility of the soil naturally. During the fallow period, the farmer cultivates another piece of land. It similar to shifting cultivation […]

a unit of measurement for crops, primarily grains; historically, a bushel was equivalent to 8 gallons in volume, though now it is typically equated with pounds and is different for each crop (a bushel of oats is 32 pounds, for example, while bushel of wheat is 60 pounds)

A calf sold at weaning: 6-10 months old.

Pelleted feed usually made from a mix of feeds and minerals. Usually about 8mm in diameter and 20mm long. The feeds are often byproducts from the food industry. As examples Sugar beet pulp is what is left when sugar has been extracted from the sugar beet, maize pulp is left […]

See Cake – Calf pellets are usually smaller versions with a slight change in ingredients.

a waterway built to let boats navigate the waters

what a farmer raises, crop or livestock, to sell for money

Cast or ‘draft’ ewes are older hill sheep that are sold on for continued breeding in less harsh, lowland conditions.

component of plant cell walls that is not digestible by most animals

an alternative to USDA organic certification; the CNG system generally corresponds to the USDA organic standards, though certification is done on a peer-to-peer basis (by other farmers, that is)

Is characterized by low fallow ratios of land, mechanization of agriculture and the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and/or pesticides. Chemical-intensive agriculture is widely associated with the so-called green revolution and the many negative effects on humans and the environment, from algae blooms (dead zones) to poisoning of farmers and […]

Small particles of specially formulated feed suitable for very young poultry.

Mud (Dialect N England & S Scotland.)

the large round mass of an ear of corn where kernels grow

A disease caused by microscopic, single-cell organisms called coccidia. It is particularly harmful in poultry flocks.

a machine that harvests grain, threshing it in the process