Subject : Agricultural Science

Topic : Classification of Farms Sub Topic :

Distinguishing features of Farms
Objectives
To know what is a farm
To classify farms according to their sizes To
differentiate among the types of farms
FARM
A farm is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and
other crops; it is the basic facility in food production.
A farm may be owned and operated by a single individual, family, community, corporation or a company, may produce one or
many types of produce, and can be a holding of any size from a fraction of a hectare to several thousand hectares.

CLASSIFICATION OF FARMS

1. Large Farms
Occupy more than 25 hectares
One crop is grown mainly
Owned and managed by individuals, cooperation,
or government and in some cases absentee owner.
 Skilled and unskilled labour force is employed
Highly mechanized or little mechanisation
Repatriation of profits Large Farm
2. Medium Simple tools are utilized e.g. Hoe, fork. Cutlass.
Ranges from 2.5 to 25 hectares
It is owned and operated by individual farmers.
Manual labour intensive
It could produce a variety of crops/livestock for domestic

Medium Farm
—

use, Requires little or no mechanisation

3. Small
Ranges from 0.5 hectares to a maximum of 2.5 hectares It is owned and
operated by the farmer.
Small Farm
Usually utilizes family labour
The production is for the local market.
Types of farm
1.Crop farm
Crop farming is the cultivation of plants for food, animal foodstuffs, or other commercial uses.
A variety of techniques including organic production methods can be used to manage crops.
The types of crops grown can depend on environmental conditions, market demands, and
 preference.
Some crops have a limited growth range dependent on temperatures, available water supply,
pests, and other factors. Others may be cultivated in a wider range of conditions.
+*---Crop farmers test the soil and assess their land to determine what kinds of products they
can grow, and narrow down that list to determine what would be commercially viable.

2.Livestock farm
Livestock farming is commonly defined as domesticated animals raised on an agricultural
setting to produce labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool.
The breeding, maintenance, and slaughter of livestock, known as animal husbandry is a
component of modern agriculture.
This farm could be small, medium or large depending on the type of enterprise. It is
owned by an individual or a group of individuals.
3. Mixed farm
A system of farming which involves the growing of crops as well as the raising of livestock.
Although mixed farming can have higher initial and opportunity costs because of the greater
diversity of supplies and equipment needed, there is also the possibility that the resources can
be re-utilized between ventures.
For example, the manure produced by dairy cows can be spread on crop fields to reduce the
amount of fertilizer required. If the same dairy farmer also plants feed corn, he can sell some
and reserve some for his own herd.
Mixed farmers can rotate their fields, letting crop land rest for several years, which contributes
to a farm's sustainability by reducing or eliminating its reliance on chemical fertilizers. Mixed
farming generally requires more resources e.g. bucket tractor and harvester, mist blower.

4. Mixed crop
Mixed cropping, also known as polyculture, inter-cropping, or co-cultivation, is a type of agriculture that
 involves planting two or more plants simultaneously in the same field, like interlocking your fingers - so that
they grow together.
Since crops ripen during different seasons, planting more than one saves space and also provides a
wealth of environmental benefits including maintaining a balance of input and outgo of soil nutrients;
weed, disease, insect pest suppression; resistance to climate extremes (wet, dry, hot, cold); an
increase in overall productivity, and management of scarce land resources to its maximum potential.
Mixed cropping is best suited for small-scale farming where harvesting is done by hand.
The process has been successfully employed to improve income and food production for small
farmers and lessen the likelihood of total crop failure because even if one crop fails, others in
the field might still produce.
Mixed cropping also requires fewer nutrient inputs such as fertilizers, pruning, pest control,
and irrigation than monoculture farming, and is often more cost-effective as a result.
5. Mono-cropping Farm 6. Strip cropping
Monocropping is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop year It is a method of farming which involves cultivating a field partitioned into
after year on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other long, narrow strips which are alternated in a crop farming system.
crops .
It is used when a slope is too steep or when there is no alternative
When it comes to popular crops used for monocropping, corn, soybeans, method of preventing erosion.
and wheat are three common crops often grown using monocropping
techniques. The most common crop choices for strip cropping are closely sown crops
such as corn, wheat, cotton, sugar cane which are alternated with strips.
Monocropping allows for farmers to have consistent crops throughout
Other forms of strip cropping are contour cropping and strip
their entire farm.
intercropping.
Then the farmers plant their most profitable crop only, using the same
seed, pest control, machinery, and growing method on their entire farm,
which may increase overall farm profitability.
The depletion of the nutrients in the soil, the use of pesticides on the
crops, and the fact that not the entire crop is used for food are three
major reasons why monocropping, while affordable for farmers, lead to
environmental issues.
MONO CROPPING
 The system exploits the storage capacity of the deep subsoil,
allowing it to fill during the cropping years, and emptying it under the
perennial.
The farmer can maintain regular supply of produce to the consumer
and receive a steady income over time.

Strip cropping
This farming prevents an oversupply or glut of a commodity.
7. Cover cropping
Cover crops are plants that are planted to cover the soil rather than for
the purpose of being harvested.
Cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds,
pest diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in an agroecosystem and
ecological system managed and shaped by humans.
Cover crops may be an off-season crop planted after harvesting the cash
crop. COVER CROPPING
One of the primary uses of cover crops is to increase soil fertility. These
types of cover crops are referred to as green manure .They are used to
manage a range of soil macronutrients and micronutrients.
8. Phased farming
It is a system of continuous cropping and harvesting.
Phased farming (alternating a series of crops with a few years of
Phased farming
perennial species) is one of the most promising innovations for
controlling recharge in cropping areas.
Review Questions

1. List four major cropping

systems practised locally or
regionally.
 \
2. State two advantages and two
disadvantages of monoculture.

3. Explain the difference between

multiple cropping and inter
cropping.
4. Explain why cover cropping is
referred to as green manure. 5.

5. Illustrate a drawing to show

mixed farming.
Subject : Agricultural Science
Topic : Classification of Farms
Sub Topic : Alternatives to conventional farming
Objectives
To explain “non -conventional” farming
systems To describe conventional farming

To discuss urban and peri-urban farming

To explain the principles of organic
farming

What is non conventional farming

Non conventional farming is a type of farming that uses, modified methods of growing crops and rearing
animals. This farming system is labour intensive.
Crop yields are lower . However the food produced are of a better quality so they command a higher price.

Types of non conventional farming systems

Organic farming
Grow boxes
Trough culture
Peri –urban farming

Alternative growing methods:

These are modern farming methods which are designed to produce large quantities of food to be sold for
profit. Hydroponics
Certified organic
Aquaculture
Greenhouse
Permaculture
Vertical growing
Conventional farming
Conventional farming, also known as industrial agriculture, refers to farming systems which include the use of synthetic
chemical, fertilisers, pesticide, herbicide and other continual inputs, genetically modified organisms, concentrated
animal feeding operations , heavy irrigation, intensive tillage, or concentrated monoculture production.
Thus conventional agriculture is typically highly resource and energy intensive.
Conventional farming systems vary from farm to farm and from country to country.
 However, they share many characteristics such as rapid technological innovation, large capital investments in
equipment and technology, large-scale farms, single crops (monocultures); uniform high-yield hybrid crops, dependency
on agribusiness, mechanization of farm work, and extensive use of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides.
In the case of livestock, most production comes from systems where animals are highly concentrated and

confined.

1. Organic farming Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to

benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a
Organic farming is defined as production of crop, animal, and good quality of life for all involved.
other products without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and
pesticides, transgenic species, or antibiotics and growth-enhancing 2. Grow boxes
steroids, or other chemicals. Grow boxes may be soil-based or hydroponic.
Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health
The most sophisticated examples are totally enclosed, and
of soils, ecosystems and people.
contain a built-in grow light, intake and exhaust fan system for
It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to ventilation, hydroponics system that waters the plants with
local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. nutrient-rich solution, and an odor control filter.
Grow box cultivation is a type of production system using an
enclosed structure filled with pre-mixed soil. Grow boxes can
be any size.
It remains feasible in areas where the soil is infertile or of poor
quality.
Enclosures can be situated in close proximity to your home
thus making security of crops possible and reducing praedial
larceny. Grow boxes

Grow boxes also tend to have few or no weeds and therefore

less money is spent on weedicides and less time is spent to
manually removing weeds. 3. Trough culture
Trough culture is the cultivation of crops on a small scale using
containers or structures that have space of medium to large
dimensions.
Trough culture is a form of hydroponics.
The term trough culture refers to growing plants in shallow raised
troughs, also called benches, above a soilless mixture.
Instead of soil, common materials such as coconut fiber and
clay pellets are used. It is a rapid method of expanding
agriculture.
ORGANIC FARMING
It allows people to grow crops in places that were not suitable
to grow crops e.g. roof tops, beside walkways, etc.

4. Urban and peri - urban farming

It has been defined as the cultivation of crops and rearing of
animals for food and other uses within and surrounding the
boundaries of cities, including fisheries and forestry.
It comprises multifunctional food production activities, as well
as herbs, medicinal and ornamental plants for both home
consumption and for the market.
It contributes to fresh food availability of the urban dwellers,
as well as to the greening of the cities and the productive
reuse of urban waste.
In developed countries, urban and peri-urban agriculture are
recognized for this provision of local food, as well as TROUGH CULTURE
recreational, educational and social services.
In developing countries urban and peri-urban agriculture
provide income and employment and contribute to local
economic development, poverty alleviation and the social
inclusion of the urban poor and women.
This type of agriculture mostly remains an informal sector that is
not well integrated into agricultural policies or urban planning.

Urban and peri - urban farming

Principles of organic farming

The Principles of Organic Agriculture were established by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements in September, 2005. They are aspirations for organic farming.
Organic Agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human and planet as one and indivisible.
This principle points out that the health of individuals and communities cannot be separated from the health of
ecosystems - healthy soils produce healthy crops that foster the health of animals and people.
Health is the wholeness and integrity of living systems. It is not simply the absence of illness, but the maintenance of
physical, mental, social and ecological well-being. Immunity, resilience and regeneration are key characteristics of
health.
The role of organic agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or consumption, is to sustain and enhance the
health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings.
In particular, organic agriculture is intended to produce high quality, nutritious food that contributes to preventive
health care and well-being. In view of this it should avoid the use of fertilizers, pesticides, animal drugs and food
additives that may have adverse health effects.
The principles are as follows;
Produce good food that has a high nutritional value .
Maintain and improve soil fertility.
Use renewable resources wherever possible.
Protect wildlife habitats.
Avoid pollution from agricultural techniques.
Encourage a diversity of wildlife on the farm.
Raise livestock to carry out their innate behavior.
Principles of organic farming
Review questions
1. List the main principles of organic farming.
2. Name three crops that can be grown using trough culture.
3. Describe three advantages of grow boxes.
4. Why is there a “brain drain” in urban and peri-urban areas.
5. State two advantages and two disadvantages of organic farming.

Reference
Book
R. Ramharacksingh, 2011. Agricultural science for C.S.E.C examination macmillan publishers s.
Ragoonanan,2011. Agriculture for C.S.E.C revision course. Caribbean educational publishers. T. De
Ponti“, the crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture" in agricultural systems.
Internet

HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/PERI-URBAN_AGRICULTURE

VIDEO LINK

HTTPS://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/SUZETTEJOHNSON6/NON-CONVENTIONAL-FARMING
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=WHORIULRNPO