Organic Ecology Glossary:
A guide to some general and specific farming terms, personalities, organisations
and so on that you might find on this site. Or elsewhere.
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Alfalfa:
Medicago sativa (pea family.) SW Asian perennial
herb, widely cultivated as a pasture and hay crop.
Almond: Amygdalis communis (rose
family). Fruit of the almond tree.
Apple: Firm edible fruit of the apple tree (Malus
pumila, rose family).
Apricot: Yellow to rosy fruit of the apricot tree
(Prunus armeniaca, rose family) much like a small
peach.
Artichoke: Cynara scolymus (sunflower
family.) Mediterranean thistle-like plant whose head is edible. Ready November
to March.
Asparagus: Asparagus officinalis (lily
family.) Eurasian plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten
as vegetables.
Aubergine: Solanum melongena esculenta.
Deep purple fruit of an Indian plant, usually available throughout the year. Can
be used to flesh out vegetarian meals, to layer moussaka or can be stuffed and
baked to provide a filling meal.
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Bacteria:Microscopic organisms carried by earth, air, water and plants, some of which
cause disease but some of which are beneficial.
Banana:Musa acuminata. Asian herb whose yellow
fruits are edible; their skins are occasionally used for pratfalls.
Basil: Ocimum basilicum (mint
family). Aromatic herb whose leaves are used in cookery.
Bean: Edible seeds of leguminous herbs (chiefly of genera
Faba, Phaseolus and Dolichos (pea family)).
- Bean, broad:
Vicia faba (pea family). Green pod with edible
seeds, the classical bean. Ready June to August
- Bean, runner:
Phaseolus coccineus (pea family). High-climbing
perennial bean whose pods are edible. Ready July to October
- Bean, string:
Phaseolus vulgaris (pea family). (Also Dwarf
French bean.) American plant whose green pods are edible. Ready July to September
- Bean, haricot:
Various seeds or pods from plants of genus Phaseolus (pea
family.) Ready November to February.
Beet:
Beta vulgaris (goosefoot family). Crop plant
grown for its edible roots. Ready July to March.
Biodiversity: The range of wildlife - animal
and vegetable - in a given place. The more diverse the range, the better it is
for the environment.
Boerenbruiloft Report: See Peasant Wedding Report
Böse model: See Strawberry Yoghurt Model
Box scheme: A means by which farmers can sell
directly to consumers by delivering a box of - for instance - vegetables to the
door.
Broad bean: See bean, broad.
Broccoli: Brassica oleracea italica (mustard
family). Vegetable related to the cauliflower whose
flowering head is used for food. Ready October to May.
Brussels Sprouts: Brassica oleracea gemmifera
(mustard family). Vegetable with long, stout cabbage-like
buds. Ready November to March.
BSE: Bovine spongiform encephaly, or Mad Cow Disease.
A disease in cows believed to cause, through consumption of infected beef, human-variant
Creuzfeld-Jakobs Disease, which can be deadly. BSE has been one of the main factors
in British beef's recent crisis.
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Cabbage:
Brassica oleracea capitata (mustard family).
European vegetable with several forms, with a round head covered in overlapping
leaves. Ready October to May.
CAP: The Common Agricultural Policy, the EU's policy
on agriculture. Its aim is to reward efficient farmers with a fair income. The
CAP is strongly criticised for destroying edible crops to ensure stable prices.
Caraway: Carum carvi (parsley
family). Biennial Eurasian herb, whose seedy fruit is used as flavouring.
Carrot: Daucus carota sativus (parsley
family). Biennial Eurasian plant, whose orange taproot is edible. Ready July
to April.
Cauliflower: Brassica oleracea botrytis
(mustard family.) Herb with a large, edible head.
Ready July to October.
Celery: Apium graveolens dulce (parsley
family). Biennial European plant, with edible roots, leafstalks, leaves and
fruits. Ready December to April
Certifier: An organisation responsible for ensuring
the organic credentials of anyone in the organic chain.
They do this by means of regular and unannounced inspections. They also provide
help and advice about organics.
Cherry: Edible fruit of the cherry tree (often Prunus
avium or Prunus cerasus, rose family).
Chickpea: Cicer arietinum (pea
family). Annual Asian plant whose short inflated pods contain edible seeds.
Chives: Allium schoenoprasum (lily
family). Eurasian bulbous herb whose long, hollow leaves are used as seasoning.
Common Agricultural Policy: See CAP
Companion planting: The method of planting
mutually beneficial plants together - for instance, tall plants with small plants
that require shade.
Compost: Decomposed organic (in the sense of living)
material, full of helpful organisms. Compost is spread on plots to encourage growth.
Conventional farming: A blanket term for non-
organic farming, including intensive methods. It is typified
by the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.
Conversion: The process of changing from conventional
to organic farming. This will typically take at least two
years.
Co-operative: A group of people who work together
for their mutual benefit. In organics, groups of farmers and producers typically
work together in this way.
Courgette: A variety of marrow
that looks like a cucumber. It is grown near the Mediterranean
Sea and is usually used to accompany fried food.
Crop rotation: A farming method in which different
crops are grown on the same plot over some time; a plot will generally be left
fallow for some time.
Cucumber: Cucumis sativus. Annual plant
with a cylindrical, watery, edible fruit.
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Dill:
Anethum graveolens (parsley family). Aromatic
herb native to Eurasia whose leaves and seeds are used as seasoning.
Dwarf French Bean: See bean, string
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Ecosystem:An ecological community consisting of all of the organisms in an area - plants,
animals, and microscopic beasties.
Eggplant: See aubergine
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Fallow: Describes a field producing no
crops for sale, but instead "recovering" from previous exertions.
Fertiliser: Any material put on a plot to improve
its production potential.
Food miles: A term signifying the distance travelled
by a product between its point of origin and point of purchase.
Fungus: Kingdom of organisms which lack chlorophyll
and vascular tissue. The Fungi kingdom includes the yeasts, moulds, smuts, and
mushrooms.
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Garlic:
Allium sativum (lily family). Onion-like
plant of southern Europe, whose bulb breaks into cloves with a strong flavour.
Reputed to kill vampires and (according to a Hebrew proverb) is "better than ten
mothers" for its healing properties.
GM foods: Genetically Modified foods are products whose
genetic structure is biologically altered to produce plants with desired qualities.
Organic farming rejects GM foods on the grounds that it doesn't consider the whole
organism.
Goosefoot family: Also called Chenopodiaceae.
Contains beets and spinach.
Grape: A vine of the genus Vitis with edible
berries which can be used to make wine, or just eaten.
Grapefruit: Citris paradisi. Fruit of a
tropical evergreen tree, with yellow rind and a juicy acidic pulp.
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Haricot bean:
see Bean
HDRA: The Henry Doubleday Research Association. An
organisation which promotes organic gardening, research and hosts an extensive
seed library.
Hedgerow:A line of closely-planted trees or bushes
dividing fields. Hedgerows are valuable habitats for many species. Convention
farming has, over the last fifty years, tended to remove hedgerows, threatening
and even making extinct some such species.
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IFOAM:
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. A worldwide body responsible
for setting organic standards.
Intensive:(Applied to farming:) Aimed at producing
maximum yield as quickly as possible, by using chemicals and machinery.
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Kale:
Brassica oleracea acephala (mustard family).
Edible cabbage-like plant whose leaves do not form a head.
Ready December to April
Kiwi fruit: Actinidia chinensis. Furry brown
fruit of a Chinese vine, whose sweet green pulp is edible. (Of the fruit, not
the vine.)
Kohlrabi: Brassica oleracea gongylodes (mustard
family). Plant whose thick basal stem is eaten as a vegetable.
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Leek:Allium porrum (lily family). Edible plant
related to the onion with a white slender bulb and green
leaves. Ready October to April.
Legume: See Pea family.
Lentil:Lens culinaris (pea
family). Leguminous south-west Asian plant whose flat pods contain edible
seeds.
Lemon: Citrus limon. A citrus fruit, yellow
or green depending on the season. It is used to provide juice and occasionally
seasoning.
Lettuce: Lactuca sativa (sunflower
family). Plant cultivated for its edible leaves. Ready May to September.
Lily family:Also called Liliaceae. Largely
vegetables such as onions and leeks.
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MAFF: See Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Marrow: Squash plant of genus Cucurbita grown
for elongated fruit with smooth green skin and off-white flesh. Ready August to
November.
Microbe:Minute, often disease-causing organism.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF):
UK ministry responsible for (among other things) Agriculture.
Mint: Various plants of genus Mentha (mint
family) , usually with aromatic foliage and regular flowers, whose leaves
are used as flavouring.
Mint family: Also called Lamiaceae or Labiatae.
Mainly aromatic herbs such as mint, rosemary
and basil.
Mulch: Organic matter spread on a plot to decompose
and benefit growth. Unlike compost, mulch is not pre-decomposed.
Mushroom: Any fleshy fungus,
some of which are edible, usually of genus Agaricus
Mustard: Various plants of genus Brassica
(mustard family) whose seeds are crushed to make
a paste.
Mustard family: Also called Brassicaceae or
Cruciferacea. Mainly vegetables such as cabbage and turnip.
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Nematodes:
A class of parasitic cylindrical worms, sometimes harmful and sometimes helpful.
Nutrients:Any substance which nourishes or supports
growth. Soil nutrients include nitrogens and phosphates.
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Onion:
Allium cepa (lily family). Bulbous plant cultivated
worldwide as a vegetable. Available September - June.
Orange: Fruit of several south-east Asian evergreen
trees of genus Citrus, usually C. aurantium
Oregano: Origanum vulgare (mint
family). Perennial Eurasian herb whose aromatic leaves are used as seasoning.
Organic: An organic product is one grown without
the use of synthetic chemicals, and with due attention to the whole ecosystem.
Organic Food and Farming Targets Bill: A bill introduced
by Joan Ruddock MP aiming to ensure 30% of UK farmland
and 20% of UK food is organic by 2010.
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Parsley:
Petroselinum crispum (parsley family). Cultivated
Eurasian herb whose leaves are used as seasoning. Parsley can remove the smell
of garlic... Available all year.
Parsley family:Also called Apiaceae or Umbelliferae.
Often aromatic plants like dill and caraway,
but also carrots, celery and parsnips.
Parsnip: Pastinaca satuva (parsley
family). Strong-scented plant whose long white fleshy root is edible.
Pea: Pisum sativum (pea family).
Eurasian climbing annual vine, whose edible seeds are found in a long green pod.
Available June to August.
Pea family:Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Leguminous
plants such as peas, beans and lentils,
whose seeds are found in pods. Pea family members tend to fix nitrogen.
Peach: Peach-coloured fruit of the peach tree (Prunus
persica, rose family), usually ready in summer.
Generally used in sweets like fruit salads and peach melba.
Pear: Edible fruit of the pear tree (Pyrus communis,
rose family).
Peasant Wedding Report: A radical 1998 report
into the future of sustainable agriculture. Copies available here.
Pepper: Various edible fruits of the genus Capiscum
(potato family), including red, green and chili. Also
the crushed dried berry of the black pepper used as a condiment.
Pesticide: Any product designed to eliminate pests
such as insects from a plot of land.
Pineapple: Ananas comosus. Tropical American
plant with a large, fleshy, ediple fruit.
Plum: Edible fruit of various tree of genus Prunus
(rose family), usually containing a single, hard-shelled
stone.
Pomelo: A relatively unknown fruit. Green and sweet,
it is associated with the Taiwanese mid-autumn festival - "pomelo" is Chinese
for "blessing." It is often used in salads.
Potato: Solanum tuberosum (potato
family). A plant native to South America whose tuber is eaten as a vegetable.
Available July to May.
Potato family: Also called Solanaceae. Contains
peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.
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Radish:
Raphanus sativus (mustard family). Eurasian
plant whose fleshy root is edible. Available April to October.
Rhubarb:Rheum rhubarbarum. Plant with long
green or reddish leafstalks, edible when sweetened and cooked. Ready April to
July.
Rose family: Also called Rosaceae. Contains many
fruits such as apples, plums and strawberries.
Rosemary: Rosmarinus officinalis (mint
family). Evergreen Mediterranean shrub whose leaves are used as seasoning.
Ruddock, Joan, MP: Labour MP responsible for
introduction of the Organic Food and Farming Targets Bill
to Parliament.
Runner bean: see bean, runner.
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Sage:
Salvia officinalis (mint family). Also called
ramona. Plant whose aromatic grey-green leaves are used as cooking herbs.
Season: When applied to a plant, the natural time
for growing in the best conditions and harvesting at the best stage of development.
Soil Association: UK's largest certifier,
and a strong campaigning voice for organics.
Soybean: Glycine max (pea
family). Southeast Asian plant cultivated for its nutritious seeds and soil
improvement qualities.
Spinach: Spinacia oleracea (goosefoot
family). Southwest Asian plant whose succulent leaves are edible. (However,
it's not as good for you as Popeye would make you believe.) Ready May to September.
Squash: Various plants of genus Cucurbita with
fleshy edible fruit.
Strawberry: Fruit of various plants of genus Fragraria
(rose family), red, fleshy and often eaten at Wimbledon.
Strawberry Yoghurt Model: A famous
1992 paper in logistics detailing the transport cost involved in producing a pot
of yoghurt. The author, Steffani Böge, found that by sourcing locally such costs
could be reduced by 75%.
String bean: See bean, string
Sunflower family: Also called Asteraceae,
Compositae or the composite family. Contains lettuce and artichokes.
Supply chain:The route of a product from farm
to shop. This might involve processing and aggregation.
Swede: Brassica napus napobrassica (mustard
family). Also called rutabaga. European plant whose thick bulbous root is
edible. Ready October to March.
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Tarragon:
Artemisia dracunculus. European aromatic herb whose leaves are used as
seasoning.
Thyme: Thymus vulgaris (mint
family). Aromatic European herb whose white-to-lilac leaves are used as seasoning.
Tomato: Lycopersicon esculentum (potato
family). South American plant whose red fruit is edible. Ready July to October.
Turnip: Brassica rapa (mustard
family). Eurasian plant cultivated for its edible yellow or white root. Ready
October to December.
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UKROFS: UK Register of Organic Food Standards, the division of MAFF
responsible for organic certification.
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Varro: Roman agriculturist. Probably the first one.
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Worm: Invertebrate with a long, flexible body, living in the ground. Worms
can help the health of the soil: see Worms
and Organic Farming.
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Zucchini: Seecourgette.
