Do You Know What These Farm Words Mean?

Roll up your sleeves! It’s time to get your hands dirty and grow your vocabulary with these farm words. What do you know about the different types of farming, or how much the weather really affects our crops? Weed out the false definitions, then scroll on to check your answers.

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The word apiary on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

Farm Words Quiz

What does apiary mean?

a) Apple-cider press
b) Place to store crops
c) Collection of beehives

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Apiary Farm Words
Photografiero / Shutterstock.com

Answer: c) Collection of beehives

As in, “The apiary was next to an orchard, giving the bees easy access to flowers.”

Here’s what you can do right now to save the bees.

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The word freshen in green background
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What does freshen mean?

a) Delay ripening
b) Thaw after freezing
c) Begin to lactate

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Freshen Farm Words - Baby cow and mama cow
Ben Schonewille / Shutterstock.com

Answer: c) Begin to lactate

As in, “Daisy freshened quickly after the birth of her calf.”

These hilarious cow jokes are sure to lighten your moo-od.

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The word hydroponic on green background
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What does hydroponic mean?

a) Grown without soil
b) Overwatered
c) Capable of swimming

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Hydroponic Farm
Nikolay_E / Shutterstock.com

Answer: a) Grown without soil

As in, “The hydroponic lettuce absorbed its nutrients from a liquid mixture.”

Ready to flex your green thumb? Don’t miss our ultimate guide to starting a garden.

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The word farrow on green background
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What does farrow mean?

a) Half an acre
b) Unenclosed pasture
c) Litter of pigs

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Farrow Farm Words - Litter of pigs
PickOne / Shutterstock.com

Answer: c) Litter of pigs

“To the delight of the farmer’s grandkids, there was a new farrow in the pigpen.”

Try your hand at these medical trivia questions.

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The word haycock on green background
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What does haycock mean?

a) Fully mature rooster
b) Seeding machine
c) Cone-shaped hay pile

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Haycock
Andrew Mayovskyy / Shutterstock.com

Answer: c) Cone-shaped hay pile

As in, “The field was dotted with haycocks drying in the sun.”

Check out this gorgeous gallery of Canadian barn photography.

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The word lime on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does lime mean?

a) Harvest produce
b) Reduce soils acidity
c) Wilt before sprouting

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Lime Farm Words - Hand and soil
Piyaset / Shutterstock.com

Answer: b) Reduce soil’s acidity

As in, “Iris limed her land by spreading wood ashes.”

These farm words will come in handy on a visit to Canada’s greatest farmers’ markets.

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The word viticulture on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does viticulture mean?

a) Organic farming
b) Cultivation of grapes
c) Growing plants in water

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Viticulture Farm Words - Bunch of grapes
PRIEUR Christelle / Shutterstock.com

Answer: b) Cultivation of grapes

As in, “Hoping to make his own wine, Rameez started learning about viticulture.”

How well do you know these ocean words?

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The word pannage on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does pannage mean?

a) Irrigating with pipes
b) Letting pigs roam a forest
c) Abandoning farmland

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Pannage Farm Words - Pigs grazing in forest
Anton Havelaar / Shutterstock.com

Answer: b) Letting pigs roam a forest

As in, “England’s New Forest allows pannage so that pigs can fill up on acorns.”

Acing these farm words? See how well you fare on our Canadian slang quiz.

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The word fallow on green background
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What does fallow mean?

a) Uncultivated
b) Drained
c) Composted

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Fallow Farmland
Sigur / Shutterstock.com

Answer: a) Uncultivated

As in, “Letting land lie fallow can improve its fertility.”

Find out which plants will attract butterflies and birds to your back yard.

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The word dibble on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does dibble mean?

a) Sprinkle water lightly
b) Make holes in the ground
c) Grow without pesticides

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Dibble Farm Words - Hand planting seeds
Albert Yarullin / Shutterstock.com

Answer: b) Make holes in the ground

As in, “Zach dibbled the field, then planted seedlings in each hole.”

Here are 12 foods that are worth buying organic.

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The word ovine on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does ovine mean?

a) With hooves
b) Egg-producing
c) Relating to sheep

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Ovine Farm Words - Woman feeding lamb with bottle
goodluz / Shutterstock.com

Answer: c) Relating to sheep

As in, “’The sheep grazing in the backyard was an ovine lawn mower,’ Maria joked.”

Meet the guerrilla gardeners who are preserving Canada’s botanical heritage.

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The word fodder on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does fodder mean?

a) Coarse animal food
b) Nitrogen-rich manure
c) Tractor fuel

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Fodder Farm Words - Hand holding fodder
BearFotos / Shutterstock.com

Answer: a) Coarse animal food

As in, “After the harvest, Freya gathered cornstalks to use as winter fodder.”

These beautiful old grain elevators will take you back to the Prairies.

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The word tom on green background
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What does tom mean?

a) Scarecrow
b) Adult male turkey
c) Oversized mouse

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Tom Farm Words - Turkey
Paul Tessier / Shutterstock.com

Answer: b) Adult male turkey

As in, “A tom’s courtship behaviour includes gobbling and strutting.”

Check out these unique maple syrup farms across Canada.

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The word hardy on green background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does hardy mean?

a) Tolerant of cold
b) Difficult to grow
c) Having many seeds

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Hardy Farm Words - Cabbage with frost
Iuliia Karnaushenko / Shutterstock.com

Answer: a) Tolerant of cold

As in, “Cabbages are hardy enough to survive a bit of frost.”

These gardening tips will save you time, money and effort in the back yard.

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Flerd Background
Waridsara_HappyChildren / Shutterstock.com / RD.ca

What does flerd mean?

a) Group of sheep and cows
b) Compost heap
c) Inedible animal parts

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Flerd Farm Words - Cows and sheep in field
ket_tmn2007 / Shutterstock.com

Answer: a) Group of sheep and cows

As in, “Taylor let his flock and herd pasture together as a flerd.”

Now that you’re an expert in farm words, test your knowledge of Canadian trivia.

Reader's Digest Canada
Originally Published in Reader's Digest Canada

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