Farmer

A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture. This profession involves raising living organisms to provide food or raw materials.

The role can involve many different tasks. A farmer might grow field crops, manage orchards, or tend to vineyards. They may also raise poultry or other types of livestock. In most developed economies, the term usually refers to a farm owner or landowner. People who work on that land but do not own it are called farmworkers or farmhands.

Farming is categorized by the specific focus of the work. Many distinct terms describe these different roles. For example, people who raise grazing livestock like cattle or horses are called ranchers in the U.S. or graziers in Australia and the UK. Those who focus on sheep are called shepherds, while those tending goats are goatherds. A dairy farmer specializes in milk production from animals like cows or goats. Poultry farmers focus on birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, or geese. If a person grows various vegetables for a market, they are known as a truck farmer or market gardener.

Techniques used in farming vary depending on the region and economy. In many developing nations, farmers practice subsistence agriculture. This is a simple organic-farming system used to meet the needs of a household or community. These farmers might use crop rotation, seed saving, or slash and burn methods to maximize efficiency. In developed nations, some people use these same organic techniques to grow food for local markets. These individuals are often called organic farmers. In other contexts, someone working small patches of land might simply be called a gardener.

Agriculture has a very deep history that defines human civilization. Farming dates back to the Neolithic era. By the Bronze Age, the Sumerians had a specialized labor force for agriculture around 5000–4000 BCE. They relied heavily on irrigation to grow their crops. Ancient Egyptian farmers also depended on irrigation from the Nile River. Animal husbandry, the practice of rearing animals for farming, has also existed for thousands of years. Dogs were domesticated in East Asia about 15,000 years ago. Goats and sheep were domesticated in Asia around 8000 BCE. Pigs were domesticated by 7000 BCE in the Middle East and China.

Modern technology has drastically changed how much food a farmer can produce. In the United States during the 1930s, one farmer produced enough food to feed only three other people. Today, a modern farmer can produce enough food to feed well over one hundred people. However, some experts suggest this ratio is smaller. They argue that farming requires significant energy and resources provided by many other workers.

Farming is a massive global industry with significant social and political weight. More than half a billion people are smallholders, mostly in developing countries. These smallholders economically support almost two billion people. Globally, women make up more than 40% of all agricultural employees. Farmers often join unions to exert political influence. The International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) represents over 600 million farmers through 120 national unions. Youth organizations also help teach the next generation. In the U.S., 4-H has about 6.5 million members. The National FFA Organization focuses on agriculture education for middle and high school students.

Despite its importance, farming is a particularly dangerous industry with many occupational hazards. Farmers work around heavy machinery that can cause serious injury or death. They also face risks from dangerous insects and arthropods, such as bees, wasps, scorpions, and fire ants. Physical health can also be affected by muscle and joint pains from repeated work. There are also unique mental stressors in the field. Farmers must deal with uncertain crop yields caused by weather events. They also face economic instability due to market fluctuations. In the United States, farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.