Agriculture is big business.

As you may know a farm is a rural property used to produce livestock, crops, or both. Not all rural properties are farms. Some rural property is forested and considered recreational property, unless of course the trees are being cultured and grown for resale, in which case the property might be a tree farm. There are also fish farms and snail farms. Although some farms are several hundred acres, others might only be a few acres. Indeed a chicken farm might not require much land at all.

A Traditional Family Farm

In a traditional family farm the only employees are the farmer and his family and perhaps one or two other people. The farmer usually owns his own land or may lease it, he may even have land he leases to other farmers. He may grow crops and/or keep livestock.

Communal Farms

Also known as “Collectives”, communal farms are those where several families share the labor and the rewards of the farm activities. In many cases the group of people who share the farm are bound by the same religion, such as Hutterites, Mennonites, or the Amish. In some cases these groups are

Factory Farms

Typically factory farms are large operations where livestock are confined and raised in a very businesslike way. In most cases the animals are warehoused indoors only with very little natural movement. These are intensive operations where as many animals are kept as possible, the goal being to lower the cost of production and produce more meat, milk, or eggs. In most cases the use of hormones and antibiotics is common where allowed. Many people concerned about animal welfare disprove of factory farms. Feed lots are considered a type of factory farm, as are battery farms.

Intensive Farming

Factory farms are one type of intensive farm, but factory farming is generally specific to the raising of animals. Intensive farms also include those that raise crops, fruits, and/or vegetables. As the name implies, they use a lot of fertilizers, chemicals, pesticides, and so forth. In animals growth hormones are often used where allowed. 

Note:  In some cases those who practice intensive farming, including factory farming, the reasons for doing so are to keep up with the demand.  As well they recognize that the quality of the soil is not as good as it use to be and they say that in order to produce more food on less land they must use more chemicals.  They also say that increased demand is why they use growth hormones in livestock animals where allowed.

Organic Farms

In an organic farm no chemicals are used. They would not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. In most cases, for certification, these chemicals could not have been used on the property for ten years prior. Organic farms do not use antibiotics. They do not use, or produce, GMO's (genetically modified organisms). There are many types of organic farms, some for fruits and/or vegetables, some for meat, and some for eggs or dairy.

Note:  Organic farms often produce less per acre of land and as such prices for organic produce is often higher than that which is not organic, but additionally prices for organic foods may be higher because in some cases they are not subsidized by the governments. 

Hobby Farms

What differentiates a hobby farm from a regular working farm is the income. A hobby farm is something that the farm owner sees as more of a hobby than an actual source of income. In a working farm there is a reasonable expectation that the farm will pay for itself and have a profit. In a hobby farm although it might pay for itself, it is not really seen as a proper business and as such is more of a “hobby” for enjoyment and pleasure.  They are more likely to have novelty farm animals, or even heritage breeds.

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