Author: April Kingsman

hop mildew: A fungal disease of hops. Preventing and managing hop mildew ensures healthy hop growth and high yields.

Farm Trail: A walking trail around a farm open to the public. Farm trails can promote agri-tourism, educate the public, and provide additional income for farmers.

Lovage: Lovage is a herb used as a vegetable and for making herbal teas. Growing lovage can provide farmers with a versatile and marketable crop for culinary and medicinal uses.

ectoparasite disease: A disease caused by lice and other insects, usually characterized by intense irritation. Farmers need to manage ectoparasite diseases to ensure the health and welfare of their livestock.

Family: A group of genera with some characteristics in common. Understanding plant and animal families helps farmers with breeding, cultivation, and pest management.

overwood: The topmost vegetation layer in a forest, same as overstorey. Managing the overwood is crucial for forest health and productivity. Farmers can benefit from understanding the ecological dynamics of overwood vegetation and applying sustainable forestry practices to maintain biodiversity and resource availability.

overgrazing: The practice of grazing a pasture so much that it loses nutrients and is no longer able to provide food for livestock. Preventing overgrazing is crucial for maintaining pasture health and productivity. Farmers can benefit from implementing rotational grazing practices to ensure sustainable forage availability and soil health.

Marchigiana: a breed of white beef cattle from Italy, now imported into the UK and used for crossbreeding to improve beef-calf quality in dairy cows. Raising Marchigiana cattle can help farmers improve the quality and yield of their beef production, contributing to better income and farm sustainability.

emission standard: The amount of an effluent or pollutant that can legally be released into the environment, e.g., the amount of sewage which can be discharged into a river or the sea, or the amount of carbon monoxide that can legally be released into the atmosphere by petrol and diesel engines. Complying with emission standards helps farmers reduce pollution and avoid legal penalties.

suboestrus: a situation where a female animal comes on heat but does not show any of the usual signs. Properly managing suboestrus ensures effective breeding programs and livestock productivity.