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Glossary Entries beginning with F

Glossary of Agricultural Production, Programs and Policy

4th Edition

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F.A.S.
See Free Along Side (F.A.S.).
See Also: 
Free Along Side (F.A.S.).  

F.O.B.
See Free on Board (F.O.B.).
See Also: 
Free on Board (F.O.B.).  

F.S.T. (F.O.B., Stowed, Trimmed)
The seller places grain at the end of the loading spout, and provides and pays for stevedoring costs to stow and trim the cargo in the ship's holds. The buyer provides the ocean vessel.
See Also: 
grain.  

FAS Outreach Program
Only slightly more than three percent of the 160,000 U.S. companies in the food and fiber industry actively export. In order to expand U.S. export trade, the Foreign Agricultural Servicemaintains an outreach program to educate foreign buyers and highlight trade opportunities for domestic companies.
See Also: 
export.  fiber.  Foreign Agricultural Service.  program.  

FFA
See Future Farmers of America (FFA).
See Also: 
Future Farmers of America (FFA).  

FIREWISE
An education program, for landowners and vacationers who are in forest fire and wildfire-prone areas, on proper management techniques that should be adopted in the wildland-urban interface.
See Also: 
wildland-urban interface.  

Fabrication
The process of cutting the carcass into wholesale cuts or retail cuts.
See Also: 
process.  retail cuts.  wholesale cuts.  

Face
(1) The side of a hill or mountain being logged. (2) One side of a tree, log, or cant (log squared on two or more sides). (3) Standing timber adjacent to a clear-cut area. (4) Section of wood sawn and removed from the base of a tree.

Facilitator(s)
(1) See Arbitration. (2) The company that receives the Pigford v. Venemanclaims filed by class members and assigns claims to the Adjudicator or Arbitrator for a final decision. The Facilitator also makes the initial decisions on Track A claims to the Adjudicator.
See Also: 
Adjudicator.  Arbitration.  Arbitrator.  Pigford v. Veneman.  Track A.  

Facilities guarantees
A subsection of the GSM-102 and administered by the Commodity Credit Corporation, this program will provide credit guarantees to support the construction of foreign infrastructure that will facilitate the importation of U.S. agricultural exports to emerging markets. See Emerging Markets (Democracies) program,and Export Credit Guarantee Programs Export Credit Programs (GSM-102 and GSM-103).
See Also: 
Commodity Credit Corporation.  emerging markets.  GSM-102.  infrastructure.  program.  

Factor of production
A resource that can be used in the production of economically useful commodities. Examples include labor, farm equipment, and land.
See Also: 
farm.  

Factory farm
Very large, corporate farm.
See Also: 
corporate farm.  

Facultative bacteria
Bacteria that can grow in both the presence and absence of oxygen.

Facultative wetland plants
Plants that can tolerate either wet or somewhat drier conditions. See Obligate wetland plants.
See Also: 
Obligate wetland plants.  

Failed acres(s); acreage
Farm program term used to describe planted acres of a crop declared unfit for continued management due to poor stand, weeds, or disease. To be eligible for a Farm Service Agencyfailed-acreage determination, the total appraised and assigned production for the acreage must be less than 50 percent of the actual production history.
See Also: 
acreage.  actual production history.  eligible.  Farm.  Farm Service Agency.  program.  

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) (29 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq.)
As amended, the Act establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector, and in federal, state, and local governments. In farm work involving child labor, permissible jobs and hours of work, by age, are as follows: (a) youths 16 years and older may perform any job, whether hazardous or not, for unlimited hours; (b) youths 14 and 15 years old may perform any nonhazardous farm job outside of school hours; (c) youths 12 and 13 years old may work outside of school hours in nonhazardous jobs, either with a parent's written consent or on the samefarm as the parent(s); (d) youths under 12 years old may perform jobs on farms owned or operated by parent(s), or with a parent's written consent, outside of school hours in nonhazardous jobs onfarms not covered by minimum wage requirements. Minors of any age may be employed by their parents at any time in any occupation on afarm owned or operated by their parents. The Act contains many exemptions for agricultural laborers from the overtime pay, minimum wage, and training wage provision.
See Also: 
farm.  farms.  

Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (P.L. 89-755) (15 U.S.C. §§ 1451 et seq.)
Signed into law November 3, 1966. The Act required all consumer products to have labels that are true and informative. The Food and Drug Administration enforces these provisions on foods, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices.
See Also: 
Food and Drug Administration.  

Fair market value
The cash or cash-equivalent value of something sold in an arms-length transaction by a willing seller to a willing buyer.

Fallow
Cropland left idle during the growing season. It is usually tilled to control weeds and conserve moisture in the soil. See Summer fallow.
See Also: 
Cropland.  growing season.  soil.  Summer fallow.  

False packed cotton
Cotton in a bale containing substances entirely foreign to cotton; containing damaged cotton in the interior with or without any indiction of the damage on the exterior; composed of good cotton on the exterior and decidedly inferior cotton in the interior, but not detectable by customary examination; or containing linters worked into the bale.
See Also: 
bale.  cotton.  linter.  

Family Farmer Bankruptcy Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-554) (28 U.S.C. §§ 581 et seq.)
Signed into law October 27, 1986. An Act that created Chapter 12 of Title 11 of the U.S. Code which is designed specifically to assist operators of family farms with regular income to reorganize their debts so that they can stay in farming. Chapter 12 enables debtors to devote their disposable income to a repayment plan over a three-year period, unless the court approves a longer period that cannot exceed five years.Chapter 12 was designed to eliminate barriers previously experienced by producers who sought to reorganize under Chapter 11 (designed for large corporations) or Chapter 13 (designed for wage earners who typically have smaller debts than producers). The provisions of this Act have been extended numerous times. Under theFarm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002(Sec. 10814), provisions of this Act were extended until January 1, 2003. At the end of the 107th Congress, Congress passed legislation to extend the provisions of this Act from January 1, 2003, until July 1, 2003.
See Also: 
Chapter 12.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  

Family farm corporation
A corporation in which (a) not less than 50 percent of the stock is owned by an individual; or an individual in combination with the spouse of such individual; or the parent, aunt, uncle, child, grandchild, or cousin of such individual or spouse of these; and (b) one or more of the individuals specified participates in the direct management of the day-to-day operations of the corporation.

Family farm(s)
(1) A farm for which a family provides most of the labor and management decisions. The land may be owned, partly owned, or rented. Most family farms would have annual sales between $40,000 and $300,000. (2) An agricultural business that (a) produces agricultural commodities for sale in such quantities so as to be recognized as a farm rather than a rural residence; (b) produces enough income (including off-farm employment) to pay family and farm operating expenses, to pay debts, and to maintain the property; (c) is managed by the operator; (d) has a substantial amount of labor provided by the operator and family; and (e) may use seasonal labor during peak periods and a reasonable amount of full-time hired labor. (3) According to the Economic Research Service, farms organized as proprietorships, partnerships, and family corporations. Family farms exclude farms organized as nonfamily corporations or cooperatives, as well as farms with hired managers. Family farms are closely held (legally controlled) by their operator and the operator's household. (4) Farms using less than 1.5 person-years of hired labor and with no hired manager. (5) Farms with less than 1.5 to 2.0 family workers and the same or fewer number of hired workers; self-managed. (6) Farms where agricultural production is either the primary occupation of the operator (or is an important contributor to family income); that provide at least one-half-time employment for an operator, family member, or a hired laborer; and that are operated by no more than three extended families.
See Also: 
Economic Research Service.  farm.  farms.  operator.  rural residence.  

Famine Early Warning System (FEWS)
Advance forecasting of food insecurity and famine using satellite imagery and ground-level crop, demographic, and market observations.
See Also: 
food insecurity.  market.  

Famine foods
Plants not normally considered as crops that are consumed in times of famine.

Fannie Mae
Federal National Mortgage Association.See Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).
See Also: 
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).  

Farm Aid
Concerts organized by singer Willie Nelson, the proceeds from which were targeted to benefit indebted producers.

Farm Bureau
See American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
See Also: 
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).  

Farm Costs and Returns Survey
A nationwide survey that includes, for a given year, data on costs of production, capital expenditures, debts and assets, earnings, production practices, and other farm business and operator characteristics. These data are used to update cost-of-production estimates. They are also used to measure annual farm income and to assess changes in the financial conditions of farms. The survey is managed by USDA's Economic Research Serviceand conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service and its 45 state offices. The survey covers every state except Hawaii and Alaska. Also, data from the survey may be used in making food and agricultural policy.
See Also: 
Economic Research Service.  farm.  farm income.  farms.  National Agricultural Statistics Service.  operator.  

Farm Credit Act of 1933
Signed into law June 16, 1933. The Act authorized farmers to organize Production Credit Associations to deliver short- and intermediate-term loans to farmers and ranchers, and to rural residents for housing.
See Also: 
authorized.  intermediate-term.  Production Credit Associations.  rural.  

Farm Credit Act of 1971 (P.L. 92-181)
Signed into law December 10, 1971. The authorizing statute (as later amended) for the Farm Credit System, the Act recodified and replaced the prior laws under which the Farm Credit Administration and the institutions of the Farm Credit System were organized and operated.
See Also: 
Farm Credit Administration.  Farm Credit System.  

Farm Credit Administration (FCA)
The government agency responsible for examination, supervision, and regulation of the Farm Credit System. Under the Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985, the FCA's role as an arms-length regulatory board was clarified. The FCA was granted the same intermediate enforcement powers possessed by other federal financial regulatory agencies. The Act created a new full-time, three-member board on which no more than two members may be members of the same political party.
See Also: 
Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985.  Farm Credit System.  

Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-205)
Signed into law December 23, 1985. The law implemented interest rate subsidies for farm loans, and restructured the Farm Credit Administration. See Farm Credit Administration (FCA).
See Also: 
farm.  Farm Credit Administration.  Farm Credit Administration (FCA).  

Farm Credit Bank(s) (FCB)
A bank resulting from the mandatory merger of the Federal Land Bank and the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank in each Farm Credit System district, pursuant to Sec. 410 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987.
See Also: 
Agricultural Credit Act of 1987.  Farm Credit System.  Federal Intermediate Credit Bank.  Federal Land Bank.  

Farm Credit Council (FCC)
The Farm Credit System's trade association that represents the System's interests before Congress and the federal government. The FCC also offers the System institutions business services.
See Also: 
System.  

Farm Credit Leasing Services Corporation
Part of the Farm Credit System that provides equipment leasing services to eligible borrowers including agricultural producers, cooperatives, and rural utilities.
See Also: 
eligible.  Farm Credit System.  rural.  

Farm Credit System (FCS)
Made up of cooperative financial institutions in districts covering the U.S. and Puerto Rico that finance farm and farm-related mortgages and operating loans, some agribusinesses, and agricultural cooperatives. Institutions within each district specialize in farmland loans and operating credit, or lending to producer-owned supply, marketing, and processing cooperatives. FCS institutions rely on the bond market as a source of funds. The System is composed of six Farm Credit Banks that make direct, long term real estate loans through six Federal Land Bank Associations and provide loan funds to Production Credit Associations, Agricultural Credit Associations, Federal Land Credit Associations, and one Agricultural Credit Bank that has the authority of a FCB.
See Also: 
Agricultural Credit Associations.  Agricultural Credit Bank.  cooperative.  farm.  farmland.  loan.  marketing.  processing.  producer.  Production Credit Associations.  real estate loans.  System.  

Farm Credit System Financial Assistance Corporation (FAC)
Created by the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 and chartered in 1988 to provide needed capital to the Farm Credit System through the purchase of preferred stock issued by System institutions that received financial assistance authorized by the Farm Credit System Assistance Board. Approximately $1.26 billion in funds were provided by the Financial Assistance Corporation; its authority to raise additional funds expired on December 31, 1992. This entity is managed by the same board of directors as the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation, and will continue to operate until all funds used to provide the assistance are repaid.
See Also: 
Agricultural Credit Act of 1987.  authorized.  Farm Credit System.  Financial Assistance Corporation.  System.  

Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC)
Established in 1988 primarily to insure timely payment of principal and interest onFarm Credit System debt securities.
See Also: 
Farm Credit System.  

Farm Credit System Regulatory Relief Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-105)
The Act eliminated several regulatory requirements viewed by officials of the Farm Credit System as outdated. It also gave new authorities to the financially pressed Farmer Mac, but required that this institution bolster its capital base within two years or face liquidation.
See Also: 
Farm Credit System.  Farmer Mac.  

Farm Credit association(s) (institutions)
See Agricultural Credit Association(s) (ACA),Federal Land Bank Association(s) (FLBA), Federal Land Credit Association(s) (FLCA), and Production Credit Associations (PCA).
See Also: 
Federal Land Bank Association(s) (FLBA).  Federal Land Credit Association(s) (FLCA).  Production Credit Associations (PCA).  

Farm Disaster Assistance Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-45)
Signed into law May 26, 1987. The Act provided assistance to producers who experienced crop losses from natural disasters in 1986.

Farm Link
A program that matches retiring producers who want to keep their land in agriculture with beginning producers who want to buy a farm. Farm Link programs are designed to facilitate farm transfers, usually between producers who are not related to each other. Also Land Link.
See Also: 
farm.  Land Link.  program.  

Farm Poundage Quota Revisions Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-577)
Signed into law November 15, 1990. This Act permitted the sale of burley tobacco quotas within counties, and established regulations affecting the purchase and sale of quotas. The leasing of quota and its transfer across county lines was authorized in Tennessee if approved by producers in a referendum.
See Also: 
authorized.  leasing of quota.  referendum.  

Farm Program Payment Reserve (FPPR)
A farmer savings account proposal that was less well developed than proposals for Farm and Ranch Risk Management Accountsor Individual Risk Management Accounts. A portion of direct payments would be diverted into a savings account to build safety net reserves for individual producers. Payments could accumulate until some level such as 150 percent of a five-year-average net farm income was achieved. After full funding was achieved, all direct payments would go to the producer. Withdrawals would be triggered when net farm income dropped below the five-year average. As proposed, withdrawals could not cause net farm income to exceed the five-year average.
See Also: 
Farm and Ranch Risk Management Accounts.  farmer savings account.  Individual Risk Management Accounts.  net farm income.  producer.  

Farm Safety Net Initiative
A proposed Presidential initiative in FY2001 that included proposals for new legislation to provide supplementary counter-cyclical income assistance payments targeted to producers actually facing reduced prices and revenues, and to reform the crop insurance program to provide better protection from production losses. Other parts of the proposal included a new Conservation Security Program, expansion of the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Program, and other conservation programs.
See Also: 
Conservation.  conservation programs.  Conservation Reserve Program.  counter-cyclical income assistance.  Program.  Wetlands Reserve Program.  

Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171)
Signed into law May 13, 2002. Commonly known as the 2002 Farm Bill. The bill, with most of its provisions taking effect in 2002, reauthorized programs for six years and includes loan rates, target prices, and direct payments for covered commodities. The bill provided for the updating of base acres and payment yields; created a National Dairy Program; provided marketing loans and loan deficiency payments to wool, mohair, honey, and pulse crops; reformed thepeanut program; provided assistance to apple producers; and lowered the payment limit ondirect payments, counter-cyclical payments, loan deficiency payments, and marketing loan gains. The bill also significantly increased authorized spending for conservation programs, created the new Conservation Security Program and the Grasslands Reserve Program, and added a new Energy Title for the support of bioenergy production.
See Also: 
authorized.  base acres.  bioenergy.  conservation programs.  Conservation Security Program.  Farm Bill.  honey.  mohair.  payment limit.  wool.  

Farm Service Agency (FSA)
The USDA agency responsible for administering farm priceand income supports, disaster and selected crop-loss protection programs, as well as conservation, forestry cost-sharing, and farm credit programs. In particular, the FSA is responsible for commodity loans and loan deficiency payments, Agricultural Market Transition Act payments, the Dairy Refund Payment Program, the Dairy Indemnity Payment Program, the sugar program, tobacco and peanuts price-support and production control programs, Conservation Reserve Program, environmental incentive programs, farm loan programs, commodity warehouse activities, commodity procurement operations, the noninsured crop disaster assistance program, and administrative services.
See Also: 
commodity.  commodity procurement.  conservation.  Conservation Reserve Program.  Dairy Refund Payment.  disaster.  farm.  loan.  price.  price-support.  Program.  tobacco.  warehouse.  

Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL; FSFLP)
A Farm Service Agency loan program, under authority of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (Sec. 504(c)), providing low-cost loans for up to seven years to eligible producers to help build or upgrade commodity storage and handling facilities for on-farm storage of wheat, rice, soybeans, sunflower seed, canola, rapeseed, safflower,flaxseed, mustard seed, crambe, other oilseeds to be announced, corn, grain sorghum, oats, and barley. The interest rate charged will be the same as the rate charged on comparable Treasury securities in effect during the month the loan is approved. The rate will remain in effect for the term of the loan. The decline of available commercial storage and rising production led to the renewal of this program last utilized in 1983.
See Also: 
barley.  canola.  commodity.  crambe.  eligible.  flaxseed.  grain sorghum.  handling.  loan.  mustard seed.  oilseeds.  on-farm storage.  program.  rapeseed.  safflower.  storage.  

Farm Viability Program
Under the Farmland Protection Program, authorized grants for use in carrying out farm viability programs to help producers create business plans and assess conservation easements and other options to best manage their farms for future generations.
See Also: 
authorized.  farm.  Farmland Protection Program.  farms.  

Farm acreage base
See Crop acreage base (CAB).
See Also: 
Crop acreage base (CAB).  

Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services
The USDA mission area that includes the Farm Service Agency, the Risk Management Agency, the Commodity Credit Corporation, and the Foreign Agricultural Service.
See Also: 
Commodity Credit Corporation.  Farm Service Agency.  Foreign Agricultural Service.  mission area.  Risk Management Agency.  

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)
See Farmland Protection Program (FPP).
See Also: 
Farmland Protection Program (FPP).  

Farm and Ranch Risk Management accounts (FARRM)
A risk management proposal to allow farmers and ranchers to place up to 20 percent of their annual farm or ranch income into tax-deferred FARRM accounts. By depositing income into FARRM accounts during years of high net income, producers could build a fund to draw on during years with low income. Producers who are able to build new savings through these accounts could be better able to smooth their household consumption over time and self-insure some of their income risk. FARRM deposits could stay in an account for up to five years, with new amounts added on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis. FARRM deposits not withdrawn in 5 years would incur a 10 percent penalty. See Farmer savings account(s).
See Also: 
farm.  Farmer savings account(s).  risk management.  

Farm assets
Farmland, machinery, equipment, facilities, crop and forage inventories, livestock and poultry inventories, and purchased inputs.
See Also: 
Farmland.  forage.  livestock.  poultry.  

Farm bank(s)
See Agricultural bank(s).
See Also: 
Agricultural bank(s).  

Farm bargaining association(s)
See Bargaining association(s).
See Also: 
Bargaining association(s).  

Farm bill
The popular, generic term given to current federal omnibus agricultural legislation, usually enacted every four to seven years. The bill usually includes provisions on commodity programs, trade, conservation, credit, agricultural research, food stamps, and marketing. See Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIR), and Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.
See Also: 
conservation.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIR).  food stamp.  marketing.  

Farm consumption
Consumption by the producer's family, employees, or household, or by his work stock; or consumption by poultry or livestock on his farm, if such poultry or livestock or the products thereof are consumed or to be consumed by the producer's family, employees, or household.
See Also: 
livestock.  poultry.  

Farm counter-cyclical savings accounts
A proposed pilot program in which eligible producers could establish savings accounts in the name of the producer in a bank or financial institution selected by the producer and approved by the USDA. The account would consist of contributions by the producer, matching contributions by the USDA, and interest earned on account balances. An eligible producer could deposit as much in the account as the producer considered appropriate. The USDA would provide a matching contribution to the amount deposited by the producer into the account not to exceed 2 percent of the producer's average adjusted gross farm revenue or $5,000, whichever is lower, for any applicable fiscal year. To be eligible, aproducer would have to share in the risk of producing an agricultural commodity for the applicable year, have filed a farm business-related federal income tax return during each of the previous 5 years or be a recognized beginning farmer or rancher, and have at least $50,000 in average adjusted gross farm revenue (except for limited-resource farmers as determined by the USDA). This proposal was considered, but rejected, by the conferees on the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.
See Also: 
agricultural commodity.  eligible.  eligible producer.  farm.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  fiscal year.  producer.  program.  

Farm debt(s)
Outstanding farm obligations for repayment of purchases, rental, or hiring of inputs (including farmland and farm labor), machinery, equipment, and facilities.
See Also: 
farm.  farm labor.  farmland.  

Farm equity
Equity equalsfarm assets minus farm debts, assuming assets exceed debts.
See Also: 
farm assets.  

Farm gate price
Commodity market price received by producersat the first point of sale less costs for shipping/transportation.
See Also: 
Commodity.  market price.  

Farm groups
See Farm organization(s).
See Also: 
Farm organization(s).  

Farm income
See Gross farm income (revenue), and Net farm income.
See Also: 
Gross farm income (revenue).  Net farm income.  

Farm input(s)
See Input(s).
See Also: 
Input(s).  

Farm labor contracting activity
The recruiting, soliciting, hiring, employing, furnishing, or transporting of any migrant agricultural worker or seasonal agricultural worker.
See Also: 
migrant agricultural worker.  seasonal agricultural worker.  

Farm labor contractor(s)
Any person – other than an agriculture employer, an agricultural association, or an employee of an agriculture employer or agriculture association – who, for any money or other valuable consideration paid or promised to be paid, recruits, solicits, hires, employs, furnishes, or transports any year-round or migrant farmworker.
See Also: 
agricultural association.  migrant farmworker.  

Farm labor housing loans and grants
Commonly known as Sections 514 and 516, Rural Housing Service grants are available for housing for migrant, seasonal, and year-round farm laborers. With grants of up to 90 percent of development costs, the USDA assists nonprofit and public groups to develop affordable migrant housing complexes, including essential support facilities such as day cares, laundries, and small medical clinics. In the off-season, migrant facilities can be made available for the homeless. Year round housing can also be provided through local sponsors for affordable family units. Loan terms are one percent interest for up to 33 years. The farm labor housing program is the only exception to the RHS rural service area. Funds may be used in urban areas for nearby farm labor.
See Also: 
areas.  farm labor.  program.  rural.  Rural Housing Service.  urban.  

Farm labor(ers)
Includes services in connection with cultivating the soil, raising, or harvesting any agricultural or aquacultural commodity.
See Also: 
soil.  

Farm marketing quota
See Marketing quota(s).
See Also: 
Marketing quota(s).  

Farm number
Number assigned to each separate farming operation by the Farm Service Agencyfor program administration purposes. If a producer owns or operates more than one farm, each farm must have a different ownership structure in order to secure separate farm numbers.
See Also: 
farm.  Farm Service Agency.  producer.  program.  

Farm operating loan(s)
See Operating loan(s) (OL).
See Also: 
Operating loan(s) (OL).  

Farm operator(s)
A person who operates a farm, either by doing or supervising the work and by making day-to-day operating decisions about planting, harvesting, feeding, and marketing. An operator may be the owner, a member of the owner's household, a hired manager, a tenant, a renter, or a sharecropper. However, under some government programs, a tenant is not considered a farm operator.
See Also: 
farm.  farm operator.  marketing.  sharecropper.  tenant.  

Farm organization(s)
(1) An association of farmers, ranchers, other producers, or a collection of farmer associations formed to advance the interests of producers, agribusiness, and rural citizens. Such organizations may be local, regional, or national. (2) The business organization of a farm, most generally as either a family-owned, cooperative, or corporate farm. Family farms include individual operations, partnerships, and family corporations.
See Also: 
agribusiness.  cooperative.  corporate farm.  farm.  partnerships.  rural.  

Farm ownership loan(s) (FO)
Loans to farmers and ranchers by the Farm Service Agencyfor acquiring, enlarging, or improving farms, including farm buildings, land development, use and conservation, refinancing indebtedness, and loans for closing costs. Loans are made for 40 years or less. A direct loan may not exceed $200,000 at an interest rate established by the USDA not to exceed the cost of money to the government plus one percent. A guaranteed loan shall not exceed $700,000. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Title V, Subtitle A) modified certain eligibility guidelines and expanded the scope of the program. See Beginning; beginning farmer(s) and (or) rancher(s) (qualified).
See Also: 
Beginning; beginning farmer(s) and (or) rancher(s) (qualified).  conservation.  cost of money.  direct loan.  farm.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  Farm Service Agency.  farms.  program.  

Farm poundage quota(s) (peanuts)
Initiated in the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977, the individual farm share of the national poundage quota, which limited the amount of domestically consumed, edible peanuts that could be grown for the higher loan rate under the two-tiered loan system. The national poundage quotawas distributed among the eligible states based on each state's previous year's share. It was then distributed by farm to quota holders based on past production history. In order to match the poundage quota with expected demand, import restrictions on peanuts were imposed. Under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 155), farm poundage quotas could be sold or leased within the same state, with some restrictions. Farm poundage quotas were mandatory for peanuts following a December 1997 referendum in which 94.8 percent of producers of quota peanuts voted in favor of farm poundage quotas. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002(Sec. 1309), peanut quotas are eliminated and eligible peanut quota holders will be offered compensation contracts as compensation for the lost value of their quota. See Additionals; additional peanuts, Compensation for loss of quota asset value (peanuts), and Peanut (price-support) program.
See Also: 
Additionals; additional peanuts.  Compensation for loss of quota asset value (peanuts).  eligible.  farm.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.  Food and Agriculture Act of 1977.  import.  loan.  loan rate.  national poundage.  national poundage quota.  Peanut (price-support) program.  poundage quota.  quota.  quota peanuts.  referendum.  

Farm product(s)
An agricultural commodity, such as wheat, corn, soybeans, or a species of livestock, such as cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, or poultry, used or produced in farming operations; a product of such crop or livestock in its unmanufactured state (such as ginned cotton, wool-clip, maple syrup, milk, and eggs), that is in the possession of a person engaged in farming operations.
See Also: 
agricultural commodity.  livestock.  poultry.  species.  

Farm program acreage
The acreage of a crop on the farm that was used to calculate deficiency payments.
See Also: 
acreage.  farm.  

Farm program payment yield(s)
Under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, farm program payment yields were set at the same levels as for 1990. The law also allowed the USDA to set farm program payment yields at the average of the preceding five years' harvested yield (after dropping the high and low years). The farm program payment yield applied to eligible acreage did determine the level of production eligible for direct payments to producers. The yield for a crop on a given farm was used to calculate deficiency payments. Farm program payment yields were based on the history of past yields (although it may not have mirrored the true yield history), and records of crop sales provided to the local Farm Service Agency office by the individual producer. For some producers, an average area yield history may have been assigned. For purposes of calculating production flexibility contract payments under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 102), the farm program payment yield was the yield established for the 1995 crop of a contract commodity. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, the payment yield for each of the 2002 through 2007 crops of a covered commodity shall also be the farm program payment yield established for the 1995 crop of the covered commodity. Foroilseeds, which were added to the program, the USDA determined the average yield per planted acre for the 1998 through the 2001 crop years and adjusted this by multiplying this number by a ratio of the national average yield for oilseedsfor the 1981 through 1985 crop years divided by the national average yield for oilseeds for the 1998 through 2001 crop years. For peanuts, the payment yield shall be the average of all yields assignedby the USDA to historic peanut producers. Also Program yield(s) and Payment yield(s). See Actual yield(s), Assigned yield(s),Deficiency payment(s), and Partial county yield average.
See Also: 
acre.  Actual yield(s).  assigned.  Assigned yield(s).  contract commodity.  covered commodity.  Deficiency payment(s).  eligible.  farm.  farm program.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  Farm Service Agency.  Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.  Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.  oilseeds.  Partial county yield average.  payment yield.  producer.  program.  Program yield(s).  

Farm program(s)
See Program(s).
See Also: 
Program(s).  

Farm revenue insurance (assurance)
Generally, a previously proposed farm policy option that would substitute deficiency payments for revenue from the market with a minimum government guarantee. Policy options included decoupled transitions payments –a policy whereby participants would be eligible for income support payments whenever their gross revenue per acre falls below some insured level of return, regardless of whether the shortfall was caused by low prices or low yields. See Revenue insurance.
See Also: 
acre.  decoupled.  eligible.  farm.  income support payments.  Revenue insurance.  

Farm safety program
Smith-Lever 3(d) programthat provides farm and ranch residents in all states with information to assist in reducing and preventing agriculturally related work accidents. See Smith-Lever 3(d) (funds).
See Also: 
farm.  Smith-Lever 3(d) (funds).  

Farm sector balance sheets
Used by the USDA to assess wealth in the farm sector. These include assets, debt, and equity, where equity equals assets minus debt. Assets are valued at market prices on December 31 of each year, or as close to December 31 as possible. Nominal and real capital gains on farm assets and farm debt are estimated.
See Also: 
farm.  farm debt.  

Farm serial number (FSN)
An identification number assigned to a farm by the Farm Service Agencycounty committee. This number is unique to a farm and producer.
See Also: 
farm.  Farm Service Agency.  producer.  

Farm size
(1) The value of gross farm sales. (2) Total acreage of a farm operation.
See Also: 
acreage.  farm.  

Farm structure
See Structure of agriculture.
See Also: 
Structure of agriculture.  

Farm weight
The raw or unprocessed weight of a product in fresh form prior to any processing. Also Field run,Fresh weight, and Orchard run.
See Also: 
Field run.  Fresh weight.  Orchard run.  processed.  processing.  

Farm(s)
Since 1975, the Bureau of the Census, in agreement with the USDA and the Office of Management and Budget, has defined a farm as any place that has (or normally would have) $l,000 or more in gross sales of farm products (e.g., crops, livestock, fish, and trees) per year. Also included are operations having five or more horses or ponies and no other agricultural sales, and operations wholly enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.
See Also: 
Conservation Reserve Program.  livestock.  

Farm-A-Syst
This new program, which helps prevent water pollution in rural America, offers voluntary assessment of pollution risks at a particular farmstead or rural residence. It helps residents learn more about water pollution risks and develop action plans to reduce risks. Now located in almost every state, the program allows local water-quality staff to adapt the prototype materials to local standards and regulations. It also paves the way for better coordination between state and local agencies affiliated with groundwater protection, and helps forge new links with nonprofit organizations and private businesses. Most importantly, it helps bring groundwater protection right at home.
See Also: 
farmstead.  groundwater.  program.  rural.  rural residence.  

Farm-raised fish
Under the country-of-origin labeling provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 10816), farm-raised shellfish, and fillets, steaks, nuggets, and any other flesh from afarm-raised fish or shellfish.
See Also: 
country-of-origin labeling.  farm.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  

Farm-related income
Income from custom work, machine hire, recreational activities, forest product sales, and other farm sources. See Other farm-related income.
See Also: 
farm.  forest product.  Other farm-related income.  

Farm-to-plant adjustment factor
For every pound of butterfat, there is a 0.0025 pound farm-to-plant loss (1.000 minus 0.0025 = 0.9975). In addition, for every pound of butterfat, there is an additional 0.0150 farm-to-plant loss on butterfat solids (0.9975 minus 0.0150 = 0.9825 pound of butterfat). The result of 0.9825 is divided by 0.82 (1.2213 pounds of butter can be made from one pound of butterfat) giving a factor of 1.20. See Class IV butterfat price, and Farm-to-plant loss adjustment.
See Also: 
butterfat.  Class IV butterfat price.  farm-to-plant loss.  Farm-to-plant loss adjustment.  

Farm-to-plant loss adjustment
For the Class III price and Class IV price, the farm-to-plant loss adjustment is 0.25 percent loss of nonfat solids, including protein and other solids, and a 0.25 percent loss of butterfat plus a 0.015 pound loss of butterfat. See Farm-to-plant adjustment factor.
See Also: 
butterfat.  Class III price.  Class IV price.  Farm-to-plant adjustment factor.  farm-to-plant loss.  nonfat solids.  protein.  

Farm-to-plant loss(es)
Losses in milk solid components (butterfat and nonfat solids) that occur between moving milk from the farm or diverting plants and the receiving manufacturing plant that are beyond the control of processors.
See Also: 
butterfat.  farm.  milk solid.  nonfat solids.  

Farmable Wetland Pilot Project (FWP)
First authorized in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Title XI), as a six-state (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) pilot project under the Conservation Reserve Program limited to 150,000 acres. Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 2101), wetland acres are to be enrolled through a continuous sign-upandpayments are to be commensurate with those provided to landowners who enroll filter strips in CRP. Contracts can include up to ten acres of wetland, although not more than five are eligible for payment. Buffer acreage is limited to three times the wetland acreage. The program is now extended to all states and the enrollment cap has been increased to one million acres (part of the overall CRP acreage cap). Enrollment is limited to no more than 100,000 acres in any one state, but it could, within three years, be increased to 150,000 acres following a review of enrollment by the USDA. Also Pilot Program for Enrollment of Wetland and Buffer Acreage in the Conservation Reserve,and Wetland Enrollment Pilot Program. See Conservation of Farmable Wetland.
See Also: 
acreage.  Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001.  authorized.  Conservation of Farmable Wetland.  Conservation Reserve Program.  continuous sign-up.  eligible.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  Pilot Program for Enrollment of Wetland and Buffer Acreage in the Conservation Reserve.  program.  wetland.  Wetland Enrollment Pilot Program.  

Farmed wetland pasture
Wetland that was manipulated and pastured for growing hay prior to December 23, 1985, and was inundated by water for seven consecutive or more days during the growing season in most years or saturated for 14 or more days during the growing season in most years.
See Also: 
growing season.  hay.  Wetland.  

Farmed wetland(s) (FW)
Wetlands that were altered and used to produce an agricultural commodity prior to December 23, 1985, but not converted. Under swampbuster regulations, farmed wetlands are wetlands that can be farmed as a normal practice without destroying wetland characteristics. See Swampbuster.
See Also: 
agricultural commodity.  swampbuster.  wetland.  wetlands.  

Farmer Mac
See Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).
See Also: 
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).  

Farmer Mac I
See Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).
See Also: 
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).  

Farmer Mac II
See Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).
See Also: 
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).  

Farmer program loan(s)
Farm Service Agency direct and guaranteed loans, for both operating and farm ownership purposes, as well as soil and water loans and emergency loans. See Farm ownership loan(s) (FO), Guaranteed (Farm) Loan(s) program, and Operating loan(s) (OL).
See Also: 
direct.  emergency loans.  farm.  Farm ownership loan(s) (FO).  Farm Service Agency.  Guaranteed (Farm) Loan(s) program.  Operating loan(s) (OL).  

Farmer savings account(s)
See Farm and Ranch Risk Management accounts (FARRM), Farm Program Payment Reserve (FPPR), Individual Risk Management Accounts (IRMA), and Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA).
See Also: 
Farm and Ranch Risk Management accounts (FARRM).  Farm Program Payment Reserve (FPPR).  Individual Risk Management Accounts (IRMA).  Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA).  

Farmer-Owned Reserve (FOR)
A program, established under authority of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 and extended with modifications through subsequent acts, to provide protection against wheat and feed grain production shortfalls and to provide a buffer against unusually sharp price movements. Under the program, producers who placed their grain in storage received an extended nonrecourse loan from the Commodity Credit Corporation for 27 months, with a discretionary 6-month extension available as warranted by market conditions. The CCC made annual storage payments. The loans were nonrecourse in that producers could forfeit the commodity held as collateral to the government in full settlement of the loan without penalty and without paying accumulated interest. Interest on the loan also could be waived by the USDA, and producers could receive annual storage payments from the government. Under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, producers could sell reserve grain at any time. Formerly, release prices or trigger-price levels governed release of grain from the FOR. In an emergency, the USDA could require repayment of the loans. Producers could remove their grain from storage when market prices reached specific release prices, or grain could be exchanged for generic commodity certificates. Authority for the FOR was suspended in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
See Also: 
CCC.  commodity.  Commodity Credit Corporation.  Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.  feed grain.  Food and Agriculture Act of 1977.  Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.  forfeit.  grain.  loan.  nonrecourse.  nonrecourse loan.  program.  reserve.  storage.  

Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 (P. L. 94-463) (7 U.S.C. §§ 3001 et seq.)
Signed into law October 8, 1976. The Act encouraged the development and expansion of direct marketing of agricultural commodities from producers to consumers. The USDA was directed to initiate and coordinate a program designed to facilitate direct marketing through such activities as roadside stands, city markets, and vehicles used for house-to-house marketing of agricultural commodities. The Act was amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 10605).
See Also: 
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  marketing.  program.  

Farmer-to-Farmer Program (FTF)
See John Ogonowski Farmer-to-Farmer Program (FTF).
See Also: 
John Ogonowski Farmer-to-Farmer Program (FTF).  

Farmers Home Administration (FmHA)
Former USDA agency that provided credit at reasonable rates and terms for rural Americans unable to get credit from other sources. The FmHA provided farm ownership direct loans to help producers buy farms or land, repair buildings, or develop or conserve their land. Operating loans were extended to enable producers to purchase equipment, livestock, and other inputs. Other loans included youth project loans and low-interest emergency loans. In addition, more than two-thirds of the agency's financial assistance was in the form of loan guarantees for commercial lenders who would not extend credit without a guarantee. It could also guarantee repayment of some such loans made by banks. The agency also made loans for rural housing and community facilities as authorized by law. Following reorganization, the farmer program loan responsibilities were transferred to the Farm Service Agency. All other programs remained with the Office of Rural Development.
See Also: 
authorized.  community facilities.  emergency loans.  Farm Service Agency.  farmer program loan.  farms.  guarantee.  livestock.  reorganization.  rural.  Rural Development.  youth project loans.  

Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
Established in 1992 to accomplish the goals of (a) providing fresh, nutritious, unprepared foods from farmers' markets to women, infants, and children who are nutritionally at risk; and (b) to expand the awareness and use of farmers' markets by consumers. Theprogram was reauthorized in theFarm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 4307). Also WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. See Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).
See Also: 
authorized.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  program.  Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).  WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.  

Farmers' Market Promotion Program
A program authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 10605) to make grants to eligible entities to establish, expand,and promote farmers' markets.
See Also: 
eligible.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  

Farmers' market(s)
A common facility or area where several producers gather on a regular, recurring basis to sell a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and other farm products directly to consumers.
See Also: 
farm.  

Farmers' stock peanuts
U.S.-produced peanuts, customarily marketed by producers,that are not shelled, crushed, cleaned, or otherwise changed (except for removal of foreign material, loose- shelledkernels, and excess moisture) from the condition in which peanuts are harvested.
See Also: 
cleaned.  foreign material.  

Farming occupation farm(s)
Small farm whose operator reports farming as his/her major occupation. Although the operator spends most of his or her time farming, the household may receive substantial income from off-farm work by other household members and part-time off-farm work by the operator. Thus, both the farm and nonfarm economy may be important to these operators. Larger and smaller farms in this group differ in their characteristics, so the group is further divided into two additional subgroups based on gross sales: low-sales farms and high-sales farms.
See Also: 
farm.  farms.  high-sales farms.  low-sales farms.  off-farm.  operator.  Small farm.  

Farming system
A decision-making unit, comprising a farm household, livestock, and cropping systems, that produces crop and animal products for consumption and sale. See Cropping system(s).
See Also: 
Cropping system(s).  farm.  livestock.  

Farmland Protection Policy Act (P.L. 97-98)
Title XV, Subtitle I, of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981. It directed the USDA, in connection with other federal agencies, to develop a farmland protection policy; and criteria for identifying the effect of federal programs on the conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses. It also encouraged the USDA to provide technical assistance to state, local, and nonprofit entities seeking to limit such conversions.
See Also: 
Agriculture and Food Act of 1981.  farmland.  technical assistance.  

Farmland Protection Program (FPP)
The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Sec. 2503) authorizes the USDA to establish a farmland protection program to reimburse state and local governments and Indian tribes for costs incurred in purchasing conservation easements and other interests in land with prime, unique, or other productive soil for the purpose of protecting topsoil by limiting nonagricultural uses of the land. To participate, a landowner must agree not to convert farmland to nonagricultural uses in return for a payment. The FPP cost share may not exceed 50 percent of the appraised fair market value of the conservation easement. The program is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
See Also: 
agricultural.  conservation easement.  fair market value.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  farmland.  farmland protection.  Natural Resources Conservation Service.  prime.  program.  soil.  unique.  

Farmland of local importance
In some local areas, there is a need for certain additional farmlands for the production of food, feed, fiber, forage, and oilseed crops, even though these lands are not identified as having national or statewide importance. Where appropriate, these lands are to be identified by a local agency or agencies. In some places, additional farmlands of local importance may include tracts of land that have been designated for agriculture by local ordinance.
See Also: 
feed.  fiber.  forage.  oilseed.  

Farmland of statewide importance
Land, in addition to prime farmland andunique farmland, that is of statewide importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forage, and oilseed crops. Criteria for defining and delineating this land is to be determined by the appropriate state agency or agencies.
See Also: 
feed.  fiber.  forage.  oilseed.  prime farmland.  

Farmland preservation
See Farmland protection.
See Also: 
Farmland protection.  

Farmland protection
The protection of farmland from the encroachments of urban sprawl and rural subdivisions. Tactics to encourage keeping land in farming include property tax relief, protection from nuisance lawsuits for producers, purchases of agricultural conservation easement (PACE)programs, creation of special agricultural districts where commercial agriculture is encouraged and protected, comprehensive land use planning, and adoption of agricultural zoning ordinances.
See Also: 
agricultural zoning.  conservation easement.  farmland.  nuisance.  rural.  urban.  

Farmland protection policy
Assurance that actions of the federal government do not cause farmland to be irreversibly converted to nonagricultural uses in cases in which other national interests do not override the importance of the protection of farmland nor otherwise outweigh the benefits of maintaining farmland resources. The USDA is the federal agency primarily responsible for the implementation of this policy.
See Also: 
farmland.  resources.  

Farmland(s)
Agricultural land including cropland, rangeland,pastureland, forest land, and other rural land such as land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.
See Also: 
Agricultural land.  Conservation Reserve Program.  cropland.  forest land.  pastureland.  rangeland.  rural.  

Farmstead
Typically, the principal farm dwelling with the immediate grouping of outbuildings.
See Also: 
farm.  

Farmstead equipment
Equipment, other than agricultural field equipment such as tractors, combines, or other self-propelled implements, that is used in agricultural operations for the production of food and fiber. This includes livestock feeding, watering, and waste-handling systems; crop dryers; milling systems; and material-handling equipment. Farmsteadequipment is generally stationary equipment.
See Also: 
Farmstead.  fiber.  livestock.  milling.  

Farmstead windbreak
A windbreak or shelterbelt of closely spaced trees or shrubs planted perpendicular to the prevailing troublesome winds and adjacent to the farmstead, buildings, or work areas.
See Also: 
farmstead.  shelterbelt.  windbreak.  

Farrow to finish
A swine operation where the animals are kept in containment from birth until time for slaughter. It covers all aspects of production: breeding, farrowing, nursery, grow out, andfinishing.
See Also: 
breeding.  farrowing.  grow out.  nursery.  

Farrow(ing)(ings)(ed)
To give birth to a litter of pigs.
See Also: 
litter.  

Farrowing date(s)
The date that the first pig of a birth litter is born.
See Also: 
birth litter.  

Farrowing frequency
The period between the start of consecutive groups of farrowings, expressed in days or weeks.

Farrowing index
The number of farrowings per breedingfemale per year.
See Also: 
breeding.  

Farrowing interval
Days between two consecutive farrowing dates for a mated breeding female.
See Also: 
breeding.  

Farrowing rate
The proportion of breeding females that farrow from a cohort of females served.
See Also: 
breeding.  cohort.  farrow.  

Fast-track (negotiating authority)
See Trade promotion authority (TPA).
See Also: 
Trade promotion authority (TPA).  

Fat
(1) See Butterfat. (2) See Fatty acid(s).
See Also: 
Butterfat.  Fatty acid(s).  

Fat cattle
Young cattle less than two years old ready for slaughter. The preferred term is fed cattle. See Fed cattle, andFinish(ed)(ing).
See Also: 
fed cattle.  Finish(ed)(ing).  

Fat free
A product containing less than 0.5 grams of fat per reference amount and per labeled serving. The product must contain no added ingredient that is fat or understood to contain fat.

Fat-Free Lean Index (FFLI)
A formula that allows a swine producer to take raw data from any packer's kill sheet and calculate the percentage of a hog carcass comprised of lean muscle, with all fat, including intramuscular fat, removed. The formula allows a producer to trace performance and document progress toward producing leaner, well-muscled animals. See Standardized Fat-Free Lean Index.
See Also: 
intramuscular fat.  producer.  Standardized Fat-Free Lean Index.  

Fat-skim pricing
The pricing of milk based on its buttermilk content, with the remaining value assigned to the skim portion.

Fatty acid(s)
Chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms. There are three main types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. All fattyacids are. A saturated fatty acid has the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to every carbon atom. It is therefore said to be saturated with hydrogen atoms, and all of the carbons are attached to each other with single bonds. In some fatty acids, a pair of hydrogen atoms in the middle of a chain is missing, creating a gap that leaves two carbon atoms connected by a double bond rather than a single bond. Because the chain has fewer hydrogens, it is said to be unsaturated. A fatty acid with one double bond is called monounsaturated because it has one gap. Fattyacids having more than one gap are called polyunsaturated. Also fat.
See Also: 
acid.  fat.  monounsaturated.  polyunsaturated.  saturated.  unsaturated.  

Feathers
An underweight carcass. Such carcasses produce primal cuts that do not fit the box.
See Also: 
fit the box.  primal cuts.  

Fecal coliform bacteria
Bacteria, passed by animal waste, whose elevated presence in water suggests the presence of pathogens that cause dysentery, typhoid fever, and hepatitis.
See Also: 
pathogens.  typhoid fever.  

Fed beef
See Fed cattle.
See Also: 
Fed cattle.  

Fed cattle
Steers and heifers, managed to produce high-quality carcasses, that have been fed concentratesin a feedlot, usually for 90 to 120 days. See Finish(ed)(ing).
See Also: 
feedlot.  Finish(ed)(ing).  

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac)
Known as Farmer Mac, an instrumentality authorized by the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 that provides a resale or secondary market for agricultural mortgage loans made by government credit institutions, banks, or insurance companies, enabling lenders to obtain cash for further lending. Mortgages from lenders are pooled into securities and sold on the bond market; such bonds are referred to as Farmer Mac bonds. In addition, the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 authorized Farmer Mac to purchase, pool, and securitize the guaranteed portions of Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) (Farm Service Agency) guaranteed farmer program loans. These two areas of secondary market authority were organized by Farmer Mac into two distinct programs designated as Farmer Mac I and Farmer Mac II, respectively. This instrumentality is patterned after similar secondary financial markets such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae bonds), the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae bonds), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac bonds). Farmer Mac is regulated, examined, and supervised by the Farm Credit Administration through its Office of Secondary Market Oversight. See Guaranteed (Farm) Loan(s) program.
See Also: 
Agricultural Credit Act of 1987.  authorized.  Fannie Mae.  Farm Credit Administration.  Farmer Mac.  Farmer Mac I.  Farmer Mac II.  Freddie Mac.  Ginnie Mae.  guaranteed.  Guaranteed (Farm) Loan(s) program.  secondary market.  

Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIR) (P.L. 104-127)
Signed into law April 4, 1996. Commonly known as the 1996 Farm Bill, this Act amended permanent legislation through 2002. The Act provided direct payments to producers of cotton, rice, feed grains, and wheat that were independent of market prices, and expanded planting flexibility opportunities. It suspended the Farmer-Owned Reserve; reduced the payment limitation from $50,000 to $40,000 per person; consolidated conservation cost-share programs; and eliminated the acreage reduction program, diversion payments, 50/85, 50/92, rye and honey price-support loans,purchase agreements, rice marketing certificates, high-moisture barley loans, and loan extensions.
See Also: 
50/85.  50/92.  acreage reduction program.  barley.  cotton.  diversion payments.  Farm Bill.  Farmer-Owned Reserve.  feed grains.  flexibility.  loan.  marketing certificates.  payment limitation.  permanent legislation.  person.  purchase.  rye.  

Federal Crop Insurance
See Federal Crop Insurance program.
See Also: 
Federal Crop Insurance program.  

Federal Crop Insurance Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-365) (7 U.S.C. §§ 1501 et seq.)
Signed into law September 26, 1980. The law expanded crop insurance into a national program covering the majority of crops.
See Also: 
crop insurance.  program.  

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC)
The federal corporation supervised by theRisk Management Administration that administers the Federal Crop Insurance program. Its mission is to promote the national welfare by improving the economic stability of agriculture through a sound system of crop insurance. The FCIC is a wholly owned federal government corporation created February 16, 1938 (7 U.S.C. §§ 1501 et seq.). Its duties were amended by the Federal Crop Insurance Act of 1980.
See Also: 
crop insurance.  Federal Crop Insurance Act of 1980.  Federal Crop Insurance program.  

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation price
The price set each year that is the maximum price for which yield losses can be insured using an Actual Production History/Multiperil crop insurance policy.

Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-354)
Signed into law October 13, 1994. This Act was designed to eliminate ad hoc disaster assistance legislation by combining the multiple-peril crop insurance program with a permanent disaster and emergency assistance program. To be eligible for other types of program assistance, such as deficiency payments, price-support loans, and Farmers Home Administration loans, producers were required to purchase federal crop insurance.
See Also: 
ad hoc disaster assistance.  crop insurance.  eligible.  Farmers Home Administration.  federal crop insurance.  program.  

Federal Crop Insurance program
A subsidized insurance program that provides producers with means of risk management and financial stability against crop production loss resulting from stated hazards such as weather. Although traditionally yield-basedinsurance, the program now includes insurance to insure against lost revenue. A participating producer is assigned a "normal" crop yield based on the producer's actual production history, and a price for his commodity based on estimated market conditions. The producer can then select a percentage of his normal yield to be insured and a percentage of the price he wishes to receive when crop losses exceed the selected loss threshold. The producer pays a premium that increases as the levels of insurable yield and price coverage rise. The insurance is available for over 100 different crops, varying by county. With passage of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Sec. 193), participation in the program was made optional. Producers who chose not to obtain crop insurance could still enroll in a commodity program, obtain n Farm Service Agency farm ownership or operating loans, or enter into a Conservation Reserve Program contract; such producers were required to sign a waiver of eligibility for crop disaster and emergency assistance. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Title X, Subtitle A) did not change the basic provisions of the program. Federal crop insurance has been available exclusively through private crop insurance agents since 1998. Producers participating in the Federal Crop Insurance program must annually provide records acceptable to the USDA on crop acreage, acreage yields, and production for each crop insured. See Additional coverage, Catastrophic coverage (CAT), Crop revenue coverage (CRC), Group plans (crop insurance), Individual farm plan (crop insurance), Multiperil crop insurance (MPCI), and Premium(s).
See Also: 
acreage.  Additional coverage.  Catastrophic coverage (CAT).  commodity.  commodity program.  Conservation Reserve Program.  contract.  crop insurance.  crop production.  Crop revenue coverage (CRC).  disaster and emergency assistance.  enroll.  farm ownership.  Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.  Farm Service Agency.  Federal.  Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.  Group plans (crop insurance).  Individual farm plan (crop insurance).  insurance.  market.  Multiperil crop insurance (MPCI).  normal yield.  premium.  Premium(s).  producer.  program.  risk management.  

Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation
An entity, owned by the Farm Credit System banks, that markets the securities the banks sell to raise loan funds. System institutions obtain the majority of their loan funds through the sale of these securities in the nation's capital markets. These securities, chiefly bonds and discount notes, are offered by the Funding Corporation through a nationwide group of securities dealers and dealer banks.
See Also: 
Farm Credit System.  loan.  System.  

Federal Farm Loan Act (FFLA)
Signed into law July 17, 1916. The Act provided for the establishment of 12 Federal Land Banks to provide long-term mortgage credit to farmers and ranchers. Farmers and ranchers could borrow up to 50 percent of the value of their land and 20 percent of the value of their improvements. The Act led to the creation of the Farm Credit System.
See Also: 
Farm Credit System.  

Federal Food Safety Coalition
The interagency working group consisting of members from the USDA, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Justice, and Department of Health and Human Services.

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 (FFDCA) (P.L. 75-717)
Signed June 25, 1938, and amended by the FDA Modernization Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-115). The basic authority that expanded the Food and Drug Administration's consumer protection capabilities intended to ensure that foods are pure and wholesome, safe to eat, and produced under sanitary conditions; drugs and devices are safe and effective for their intended uses; cosmetics are safe and made from appropriate ingredients; and all labeling and packaging is truthful, informative, and not deceptive. The Act added the power of court injunction to the existing penalties of seizures and prosecutions.

Federal Grain Inspection Advisory Committee
Provides advice to the Administrator of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration on implementing the U.S. Grain Standards Act and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.
See Also: 
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.  Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.  U.S. Grain Standards Act.  

Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS)
A former USDA agency that established official U.S. standards for 12 grains and other assigned commodities, and administered a nationwide inspection system to certify those grades. The agency was mandated by Congress to establish a nationwide system to ensure integrity in the inspection, weighing, and handling of U.S. grain. Under authority found in the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, FGIS was also responsible for inspection and weighing of rice, dry beans, peas, lentils, processed grain products, hops, and other assigned agricultural commodities. These voluntary services were paid for by the users. These functions have now been assumed by the new FGISwhich is a part of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. See Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).
See Also: 
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.  grain.  Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.  Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).  grains.  handling.  inspection.  lentils.  processed.  

Federal Import Milk Act of 1927 (21 U.S.C. §§ 141-149)
Signed into law May 16, 1927. The Act prohibits the importation into the U.S. of milk and cream unless the person by whom such milk or cream is shipped or transported holds a valid federal permit.

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (P.L. 80-104)
Signed into law June 25, 1947, and amended in 1959, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1988, and 1996. This Act requires the registration of pesticide products to ensure that they meet stated health, safety, and environmental criteria. TheEnvironmental Protection Agency administers FIFRA, which also regulates the sale and labeling of many agricultural pesticides. In 1988, FIFRA was amended to require the EPA to reregister existing pesticides that were originally registered before current scientific and regulatory standards were formally established. See Reregistration, and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
See Also: 
Environmental Protection Agency.  pesticide.  registration.  Reregistration.  Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  

Federal Intermediate Credit Bank(s) (FICB)
Created by the Agricultural Credits Act of 1923 to discount short- and intermediate-term loans for commercial lenders. The same benefit was extended to Production Credit Associations in the Farm Credit Act of 1933. With passage of the Farm Credit Act of 1956, full ownership of the FICBs was to eventually pass to the Production Credit Associations as government ownership was phased out. Under the Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985, the FICBs and the Federal Land Banks were required to merge by 1988 to form Farm Credit Banks. See Farm Credit Bank(s) (FCB), and Farm Credit System (FCS).
See Also: 
Agricultural Credits Act of 1923.  Farm Credit Act of 1933.  Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985.  Farm Credit Bank(s) (FCB).  Farm Credit System (FCS).  Production Credit Associations.  

Federal Land Bank Association(s) (FLBA)
Local, producer-owned cooperative organizations through which producers obtain long-term (up to 40 years) loans on land. The associations are an integral part of the Farm Credit System.
See Also: 
cooperative.  Farm Credit System.  producer.  

Federal Land Bank(s) (FLB)
Created by the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916, the FLBs were established in 12 districts across the country for the purpose of providing long-term farmland mortgage financing. Under the Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and the Federal Land Banks were required to merge by 1988 to form Farm Credit Banks. See Farm Credit Bank(s) (FCB) and Farm Credit System (FCS).
See Also: 
Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985.  Farm Credit Bank(s) (FCB).  Farm Credit System (FCS).  farmland.  Federal Farm Loan Act.  

Federal Land Credit Association(s) (FLCA)
A Federal Land Bank Association that has received a transfer of direct, long-term real estate lending authority.
See Also: 
Federal Land Bank Association.  

Federal Land Management Policy Act (FLMPA)
See Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).
See Also: 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).  

Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (P.L. No. 94-579)
Signed into law October 21, 1976. Commonly called the "BLM Organic Act" because it consolidated and articulated the management responsibilities of the Bureau of Land Management. The Act declared that all federal lands shall remain publicly owned unless unmanageable; public resources should be inventoried and their present uses reviewed; binding yet flexible plans should be created for resource use, and in particular, allotment management plans should be prepared for all livestock operations on public property; all management should adhere to the goals of multiple use and sustained yield; public lands must be preserved in their natural state to permit continued usage by wildlife and people; fair market value should be paid for consumption of public resources; use of the public land should recognize the public's need and demand for domestic sources of minerals, food, timber, and fiber; and the federal government should compensate the state and local governments for their loss of tax revenue due to federal land ownership within their boundaries.
See Also: 
Bureau of Land Management.  fair market value.  fiber.  livestock.  Organic.  resources.  

Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 (P.L. 59-242) (21 U.S.C. §§ 601 et seq.)
Signed into law June 30, 1906. The Act, as amended, requires the USDA to inspect all cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and horses brought into any plant to be slaughtered and processed into products for human consumption. The original Act did not cover the poultry industry, and covered only plants selling in interstate and foreign commerce. See Processed Products Inspection Improvement Act of 1986, and Wholesome Meat Act of 1967.
See Also: 
poultry.  processed.  Processed Products Inspection Improvement Act of 1986.  Wholesome Meat Act of 1967.  

Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-629) (7 U.S.C. §§ 2801-2814)
Signed into law January 3, 1975, and amended in 1988 and 1994. The Act provided for the control and management of nonindigenous weeds that injured or had the potential to injure the interests of agriculture and commerce, wildlife resources, or the public health. Sections 2802 through 2813 of the Act were repealed by the Plant Protection Act. See Noxious weed(s).
See Also: 
Noxious weed(s).  Plant Protection Act.  resources.  

Federal Pesticide Recordkeeping Program
Administered by theAgricultural Marketing Service, the program requires all private certified applicators to keep records of their use of federally restricted-use pesticides for a period of two years.
See Also: 
Agricultural Marketing Service.  program.  restricted-use.  

Federal Plant Pest Act (P.L. 85-36) (7 U.S.C. §§ 150aa-150jj)
Signed into law May 23, 1957, and amended in 1968, 1981, 1983, 1988, and 1994. The Act regulated the importation and interstate movement of plant pests, and authorizes the USDA to take emergency measures to destroy infected plants or materials. The Act was repealed by the Plant Protection Act.
See Also: 
Plant Protection Act.  

Federal Seed Act of 1939 (7 U.S.C. §§ 1551 et. seq.)
Signed into law August 9, 1939. Administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service, this Act prohibits false labeling and advertising of seed in interstate commerce, and complements state seed laws by prohibiting the shipment of seed containing excessive noxious weed seeds.
See Also: 
Agricultural Marketing Service.  noxious weed.  

Federal mark of inspection
See Marking.
See Also: 
Marking.  

Federal marketing order(s)
See Federal marketing order(s) and agreement(s).
See Also: 
Federal marketing order(s) and agreement(s).  

Federal marketing order(s) and agreement(s)
(1) USDA is authorized to issue marketing orders and agreements for a variety of agricultural commodities and their products. Marketing orders have been established for milk, fruits and vegetables, and other commodities. The orders may regulate the handling of fruits and vegetables in a variety of ways, including limiting quantities that may be marketed, or establishing grade, size, maturity, or quality requirements. (2) A means authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreements Act of 1937, as amended, for agricultural producers to promote orderly marketing and to collectively influence the supply, demand, price, or quality of particular commodities. A marketing order is requested by a group of producers, and must be approved by the USDA and through a referendum by a required number of the commodity's producers (usually two-thirds) in specified areas. Conformance with the order's provisions is mandatory for all producers and handlers covered by the order. It may limit total marketing or shipping, prorate the movement of a commodity to market, or impose size and grade standards. In 1997, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld the constitutionality of federal marketing orders. (3) Voluntary agreements usually based on discussions and deliberations between representatives of the USDA and the duly constituted representatives of a commodity organization. Agreements may be issued in conjunction with orders or may be issued without orders. If issued without orders, there are fewer restrictions on marketing procedures, and these apply only to those producers or handlers who agree voluntarily to enter into the agreement with the USDA. Also Marketing agreement(s) and order(s).
See Also: 
Agricultural Marketing Agreements Act of 1937.  authorized.  commodity.  grade.  handling.  marketing.  Marketing agreement(s) and order(s).  marketing order.  marketing orders.  order.  prorate.  referendum.  

Federal milk marketing order(s)
Milk marketing orders authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.

Federal reserved water
Under the Winter Doctrine, when the federal government authorizes the establishment of federal land (by statute, treaty, or executive order), it implicitly intends to reserve enough water to fulfill the federal purposes. Unlike under the prior appropriation doctrine, federal reserved water rights may remain unused for many years.
See Also: 
prior appropriation doctrine.  reserved water.  Winter Doctrine.  

Federal-State Cooperative Inspection plants
Meat and poultry processingplants that are federally inspected but staffed by state employees. Also Talmadge-Aiken processing plants.
See Also: 
Meat.  poultry processing.  Talmadge-Aiken processing plants.  

Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP)
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (Sec. 204(b)). Payments are made to state marketing agencies to (a) identify and test marketing of alternative crops, (b) determine methods of providing more reliable market information, and (c) develop better commodity grading standards. Projects include electronic marketing and agricultural product diversification. Current projects are focused on the improvement of marketing efficiency and effectiveness, and seeking new outlets for existing farm commodities. The USDA may enter into cooperative agreements with state departments of agriculture or similar state agencies to improve the efficiency of the agricultural marketing chain. The states perform the work or contract it to others, and must contribute at least one-half of the cost of the projects.
See Also: 
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.  agricultural product.  Authorized.  contract.  market.  marketing.  

Fee income
Income to credit institutions from noncore businesses such as insurance, tax and records preparation, and appraisal services.

Feed Cost-sharing Program
See Disaster Reserve Assistance Program (DRAP).
See Also: 
Disaster Reserve Assistance Program (DRAP).  

Feed Outlook
An Economic Research Service report that examines U.S. feed grain supply, use, prices and demand, milling, and transportation for corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, and hay.
See Also: 
barley.  Economic Research Service.  feed grain.  grain sorghum.  hay.  

Feed additive(s)
Chemical materials added to animal feeds to improve animal nutrition, disease prevention and control, and growth promotion.
See Also: 
feeds.  

Feed bank
(1) The storage of grain,oilseeds, beans, or seedson awarehouse receipt that are intended to be partially or periodically withdrawn by the owner. As such, a feed processing plant receives and stores grain,oilseeds, beans, or seedsthat it processes and returns to the grain's owner in equivalent amounts, at intervals, and with added ingredients that are mutually agreeable to the grain's owner and the person operating the plant. (2) The stockpiling of forages to be used for feeding emergencies or at times later in the grazing season.
See Also: 
feed processing.  grain.  grazing season.  oilseeds.  stockpiling. &