More distinct terms are commonly used to denote farmers who raise specific
domesticated animals. For example, those who raise grazing livestock, such as
cattle,
sheep,
goats and
horses, are known as
ranchers (U.S.),
graziers (Australia & UK) or simply
stockmen. Sheep, goat and cattle farmers might also be referred to, respectively, as
shepherds,
goatherds and
cowherds. The term
dairy farmer is applied to those engaged primarily in milk production, whether from cattle, goats, sheep, or other milk producing animals. A
poultry farmer is one who concentrates on raising
chickens,
turkeys,
ducks or
geese, for either
meat,
egg or
feather production, or commonly, all three. A person who raises a variety of vegetables for market may be called a
truck farmer or
market gardener.
Dirt farmer is an American colloquial term for a practical farmer, or one who farms his own land. In developed nations, a farmer (as a profession) is usually defined as someone with an ownership interest in 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
sharecroppers or
sharefarmers. In the context of
agribusiness, a farmer is defined broadly, and thus many individuals not necessarily engaged in full-time farming can nonetheless legally qualify under
agricultural policy for various
subsidies, incentives, and
tax deductions.
Techniques In the context of
developing nations or other pre-industrial cultures, most farmers practice a meager
subsistence agriculture—a simple
organic-farming system employing
crop rotation,
seed saving,
slash and burn, or other techniques to maximize efficiency while meeting the needs of the household or community. One subsisting in this way may become labelled as a
peasant, often associated disparagingly with a "
peasant mentality". In
developed nations, however, a person using such techniques on small patches of land might be called a
gardener and be considered a
hobbyist. Alternatively, one might be driven into such practices by
poverty or, ironically—against the background of large-scale agribusiness—might become an organic farmer growing for discerning/faddish consumers in the
local food market. ==Farming organizations==