Farm and Food Dictionary

Who knew food and farming could have so much jargon?  Here's a handy list of terms and definitions, constantly growing as new terms are added.  Have a word to suggest?  Contact ithacasfoodweb@gmail.com.

CAFO

CAFO stands for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, where animals are kept confined for at least 45 days in a 12-month period, and there is no grass or other vegetation in the confinement area during the normal growing season. Learn more here.

CCE-TC

CCE-TC stands for Cornell Cooperative Extension - Tompkins County, which is an outreach system of Cornell University that offers educational resources based on university research to the public. CCE-TC offers programs in five broad areas: Agriculture & Food Systems; Children, Youth, & Families; Community & Economic Vitality; Environment & Natural Resources; and Nutrition & Health.

Compost

The decayed remains of plant and/or animal material, often used to improve soil for growing plants.

CSA

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, often used to describe a "membership" to a farm, where consumers pay a farm in advance of the growing season and receive a weekly box of produce in return throughout the growing season.

Fertilizer

Substances, such as manure, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, that promote plant growth.

Flexitarian

Someone who eats a mostly -but not exclusively- vegetarian diet.

Food System

A food system includes all the interdependent elements that provide food to a community, including growing, harvesting, storing, transporting, processing, packaging, marketing, cooking, eating, disposal, and composting.

Foodie

A person with a devoted interest or knowledge of (often gourmet) food.

Foodiot

Really, is this a word?  Only if you want it to be...

Heirloom

In agriculture, an heirloom is an older plant variety or animal breed.

Herbicide

A chemical used to kill weeds.

Hormone

A substance secreted by cells that circulates through the body and produces a specific effect elsewhere in the body.  Hormones are sometimes used in agriculture.  For example, bovine growth hormone is naturally produced in a cow's pituitary gland and stimulates the cow to produce milk.  At conventional farms, this hormone is injected into cows to increase milk production.

IFW

IFW stands for Ithaca's Food Web.

Locavore

Someone who eats mainly locally grown, raised, and produced foods.

NOFA-NY

NOFA-NY stands for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York.

Organic

This word has many meanings.  The most basic meaning is "relating to living things."  In terms of agriculture, it refers to food grown or raised without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or hormones.  Food certified as organic is produced within specific guidelines, as defined by the certifying agency, such as the USDA or NOFA-NY.

Pesticide

A chemical used to kill pests on crops.

Vegan

Someone who eats only foods derived from plants (no animal products).