Farmers

The term farmer generally applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock.

Farmers can produce food on a commercial scale, or they can focus on producing smaller crops often for a specific market – an exclusive restaurant or delicatessen for example. A farmer might own the land he or she farms, or might work as a labourer on land owned by another farmer. In Australia, a farmer is usually a farm owner, while employees of the farm are referred to as farm workers or farmhands. Farming in developed countries is becoming more specialised as consumers become increasingly health aware and demand more specific types of product; for example hormone and chemical fertilizer free foods, or certified organic produce.

Farmers may supply their food to consumers through a number of ways. Some farmers land lucrative contracts with supermarkets or large restaurant chains and are guaranteed a certain price, as long as they can keep up with demand. Other farmers participate in the farmers markets that are becoming increasingly popular as consumers are more inquisitive about where the food they eat comes from and prefer to buy it directly from the producer. Many Aussie farmers are responding to the increasing demand for high quality, environmentally friendly and non-chemical products. Specific terms are commonly used to refer to farmers who raise certain domesticated animals. Those who raise grazing livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and horses, are known as ‘graziers’ in Australia and New Zealand or just simply ‘stockmen’.