Agribusiness - Producers and manufacturers of agricultural goods and services, such as fertilizer and farm equipment makers, food and fiber processors, wholesalers, transporters, and retail food and fiber outlets.

Agri-tourism - Alternative and agritourism enterprises allow farmers and ranchers to earn higher profits by replacing or supplementing traditional farm operations with innovative on-farm or on-ranch ventures.  Alternative enterprises can take many forms. They can produce food and fiber or have little to do with agriculture. They can produce new or unique crops or livestock or add value to traditional agricultural products. They can produce fun, recreation, nature-based, or educational products. They can rely on traditional farm practices or use alternative methods, such as organic systems. They can be labor and resource intensive or require few inputs. They can operate seasonally, or year-round. But they all have a common theme: farmers and ranchers rely on the natural resources on their land - the soil, water, air, plants, wildlife, and scenery - to keep their family on the farm and the farm in their family. They also require sound land care. Since the land's resources generate income, conserving those resources makes good business sense.

Agriculture Diversification - A systemof farming that encourages production of a variety of plants and animals and their products as opposed to monoculture or large-scale specialization. Advocates of diversification argue that it provides greater income stability. Specialized farms benefit from economies of size.

Alternative fuels - Substitutes for traditional liquid, oil-derived motor vehicle fuels like gasoline and diesel. Includes methanol, ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas, and others. The alternatives are promoted for pollution reduction properties and/or to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil. Ethanol can be produced from grain, agricultural wastes, and excess crops.

Animal identification and traceback - Currently, the private marketing system, assisted by computerization of records, generally can trace products back to their original suppliers, although not necessarily all the way to the farm. It has been suggested that a type of traceback program might be formalized to better monitor and contain outbreaks of food borne illness. USDA has called "animal identification" an important element of any traceback system. Livestock producers already frequently identify their animals using back-tags, ear tags, tatoos, and other devices, so that incorporating animal identification into a traceback program might not be difficult. While few dispute the usefulness of animal identification and traceback systems in general, whether they should be made regulatory requirements, or remain voluntary, is a contentious issue.

Aquaculture - The production of aquatic plants or animals in a controlled environment, such as ponds, raceways, tanks, or cages, for all or part of their life cycle. In the United States, baitfish, catfish, clams, crawfish, freshwater prawns, mussels, oysters, salmon, shrimp, tropical (or ornamental) fish, and trout account for most of the aquacultural growing production. Less widely established but growing species include alligator, hybrid striped bass, carp, eel, red fish, northern pike, sturgeon and tilapia.

Atmosphere – An invisible layer that surrounds and protects the Earth.  A layer of molecules and their particles between outer space and the Earth.  The atmosphere protects the Earth against harmful rays from the sun and space debris like meteors.

Biodegradable – Anything that can be broken down by living organisms, such as bacteria, and returned to the Earth. .  Bread and banana peels are biodegradable, Styrofoam and plastic are not.

Biodiesel – Biodiesel is the name given to a group of fuels which can be made from virtually any vegetable oil or animal fat. The raw oils must be modified to reduce their viscosity and lower their boiling point and then can be used in virtually all unmodified diesel engines.

Biofuel – A term given to harvesting energy from biodegradable plant material.  Biofuels do not produce any more carbon dioxide than they consume, so they do not contribute to global warming.

Biological Diversity - Richness and abundance of species, and variety of natural communities. Both the number of species and the number of individuals within each species are important in considering the extent of biological diversity in an area. Also referred to as biodiversity.

Biotechnology - The use of technology, based on living systems, to develop processes and products for commercial, scientific or other purposes. These include specific techniques of plant regeneration and gene manipulation and transfer. In the past, producers used cross-hybridization to alter a plant's genetic makeup. With biotechnology, DNA can be altered directly.

Carbon Dioxide – Commonly written as CO2.  It is a molecule that is released when we burn many fossil fuels, especially coal.  While it is the most common greenhouse gas, a certain amount is also necessary for our survival because plants use carbon dioxide to make oxygen we breathe.

Carnivore – An animal that eats meat.

Compost – A collection of biodegradable waste that is no longer used by people or which died on their own.  Examples are banana peels, coffee grounds, or leaves and branches.  When mixed together they form a rich soil which many people use to help their gardens grow.

Consumption – To eat, use, or take in.  For example, people consume food and water.  People also consume energy.

Contour Farming - Field operations such as plowing, planting, cultivating, and harvesting on the contour, or at right angles to the natural slope to reduce soil erosion, protect soil fertility, and use water more efficiently.

Ecological Footprint – A way of measuring how much of an impact a person or community has on the Earth.  Someone who uses more natural resources will have a bigger footprint that someone who uses less.

Ecosystem – A community of plants, animals, water, and air that depend on each other for survival.

Energy – A way to describe the use of power.  Electricity is a form of energy usually created by a fossil fuel.  It can also mean the capacity to do work.

Environment – This word can mean many different things.  It can mean the area around you, or it sometimes just means nature. When we speak of protecting the environment, we usually mean we want to save plants and animals from danger, or we wan to clean up the water and air.

Erosion – The term used to describe what happens when topsoil is washed or blown away.

Ethanol - Also known as ethyl alcohol, is a colorless liquid that possesses a mild odor. It is a product of fermentation. When ignited, ethanol forms a vapor that becomes explosive when it is mixed with air. Ethanol is used as fuel in some combustible engines.

Fossil Fuels – Fossil fuels come form organisms like dinosaurs that lived long ago and have been buried underground for many years.  People use fossil fuels like gas, coal, and oil to crate the energy that powers our cars, homes, and factories.  There is a limited amount of fossil fuel on the Earth, and fossil fuels produce pollution when we use them for energy.

Geothermal Energy – Energy we get directly from the Earth, usually in the form of heat.  Volcanoes are a good source of geothermal energy.

GPS (Global Positioning System) - Satellite navigation is helping farmers and agribusinesses to become more productive and efficient in their farming practices. Today, many farmers use satellite navigation to conduct precision farming operations such as chemical and fertilizer application. Satellite navigation also provides location information that enables farmers to plow, harvest, map their fields, and mark areas of disease or weed infestation - any time of day or night.

Global Warming – Also know as the “Greenhouse Effect”.  When too many greenhouse gases are trapped in the atmosphere, the temperature on the Earth changes. Different places on the Earth slowly get hotter or colder.  If global warming goes on long enough, it could change rainforests to deserts and dry areas to wet ones.

Greenhouse Gas – The term given to any gas that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.  Greenhouse gasses allow the sun’s energy through to the surface of the Earth, but no back out, like a glass window around the Earth. Common greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide and methane.

Habitat – The process of gathering in the crop or product at the end of the growing season for use, consumption or processing.

Herbivore – An animal that eats plants.

Hybrid Car – A car that runs on a combination of gasoline and electricity.  This allows it to get more miles per gallon and makes it more environmentally friendly.

Hydroelectric Energy – The term given to energy derived from water, usually by damming a river.

Kyoto Treaty – This treaty was first drawn up in 1997.  It requires countries who sign it to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to levels below what they were producing in 1990.  The United State, which is the world’s biggest producer of greenhouse gasses, has not yet signed it.

Methane – The most dangerous greenhouse gas because it traps the most heat in the atmosphere, which means it contributes to the most the Greenhouse Effect.  It is emitted when things decompose, especially in landfills, or when we burn natural gas. Cows and other animals also emit it naturally as part of the digestive process.

Natural Gas – The cleanest fossil fuel because it produces half as much carbon dioxide as coal.  If you have a gas barbeque, gas fireplace, or gas stove, it is using natural gas.  Natural gas comes from under the Earth’s surface.

Natural Resources – Natural resources are found naturally on the Earth.  We use natural resources in our daily lives when we eat, build, travel, and wear clothes. Water, coal, ad trees are examples of natural resources.

Niche Markets - a specialized and profitable part of a commercial market; a narrowly targeted market

Nonrenewable Energy – Energy that comes from sources that either can be used up or do not replace themselves. Fossil fuels are an example of nonrenewable energy.

Omnivore – An animal that eats both animals and plants.

Organic – Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals.

Ozone Layer – A layer of the atmosphere that blocks ultraviolet rays from the sun. These rays have been known to cause skin cancer and cause global warming.  Some pollutants can open holes in the ozone layer.

Pollution – Anything that dirties the Earth.  Litter is pollution, and so is the smoke that comes out of cars and factories.  Even when we pour something into the water that doesn’t belong there, it is pollution.

Population – The total number of people inhabiting a specific area.

Precision Agriculture – The practice of using remote sensing, soil sampling and information management tools to optimize agriculture production.  Precision agriculture uses information technologies, like Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing to target inputs and management practices to variable field conditions. These technologies take into account unique soil/landscape characteristics and pest presence, resulting in higher profits and better environmental protection.

Recycle – Turning used item into new, often different items.  Only certain materials are recyclable. Some recyclable materials include glass, plastic, aluminum cans, and paper.

Renewable Energy – Energy sources which can be used over and over again without running out. Water is an example (dams create energy from water).  Renewable energy sources also include sunlight and wind power, which are not actually reused, but are so common that they are impossible to use up (inexhaustible).

Rural – Living in or characteristic of farming or country life.

Smart Growth – Recognizes connections between development and quality of life. Smart growth leverages new growth to improve the community. The features that distinguish smart growth in a community vary from place to place. In general, smart growth invests time, attention, and resources in restoring community and vitality to center cities and older suburbs. New smart growth is more town-centered, is transit and pedestrian oriented, and has a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. It also preserves open space and many other environmental amenities.

Soil Conservation - Involves encouraging land use practices that maximize the land use capability to sustain increased production. These practices are designed to prevent erosion, reduce excessive runoff and preserve soil nutrients.

Solar Energy – Energy that comes from the sun.  The sun’s light is caught by “solar panels” which turn the light into energy. Solar energy is a renewable energy source.

Suburban -  Usually residential region around a major city.

Sustainability – We will live in a sustainable world when everyone put together uses less resources than the Earth produces.  A sustainable lifestyle would allow humans to live forever on Earth.

Technology – The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives, i.e., GPS (global positioning system), GIS (geographic information system).

Topsoil – The layer of dirt closest to the surface of the Earth.  Top soil is responsible for providing the nutrients that help plants grow.

Urban - Characteristic of the city or city life.