Farm Vs. Plantation: When To Use Each One? What To Consider

You have probably read stories about farms like “The Animal Farm” and others that mention animals and plantations. If not, consider reading these stories since they are fascinating, and it is also one of the best ways to improve your vocabulary. But that is not what we are discussing today; our focus is on farm vs. plantation.

A farm is a piece of land that includes a house and building for rearing crops, keeping animals, or both for personal or business use. A plantation is a large farm or an estate designed for agricultural growth. In most cases, it includes housing for the owners and workers.

Once you learn about the definition of “farm” and “plantation,” you will realize that it is easy to distinguish these words. So, we have researched the various meanings of these words and discussed how to use each in this article.

Definitions Of Farm And Plantation

Learning English words doesn’t have to be boring. You can make it fun by trying to guess the definition of a word before turning to the dictionary. Once you have guessed the meaning, you can turn to your dictionary to find out if you got it right.

You might not be right all the time. But even if you make a mistake, try to understand the meaning, and you will notice where you went wrong. That way, you will not make the same mistake again. Let’s find out the definitions of “farm” and “plantation” below.

Definitions Of Farm

A popular definition of a farm is; where a particular animal is kept in large numbers for sale. It is also land for breeding, growing, and keeping animals and crops for business.

Also, most people with farms grow crops and keep livestock as their livelihood. It can either be as the only source of income or as a way to create a passive income source.

A farm is also land or water for raising animals, fish, and plants. Examples are tree farms, oyster farms, and chicken farms. Note that a farm can also be a commercial land where products are manufactured and cultivated. Examples are cheese farms, dairy farms, coconut oil farms, and honey farms.

The word also means a system or method of collecting revenues by leasing territory districts. Other sources define “farm” as a particular amount of money taken on a yearly basis because of taxes that people have authority to collect.

It also means a truck of land that handles industrial functions—for example, an oil drilling and storage farm, solar panel farm, or electricity farm.

Here are two more meanings of farm:

• A place such as a business serving a specific client or customer.
• A baseball team owned or affiliated with a major league team. It is mainly for the training of keeping players until they are ready when needed. These teams are also known as farm teams or farm clubs. 

Definitions Of Plantation

One of the common definitions of “plantation” is an area where trees get planted for commercial purposes. In agriculture, “a plantation” is a type of farm where a single crop is grown in large amounts. In most cases, the plants are mainly grown for import—for example, a banana plantation or a cotton plantation.

Historically the word referred to a settlement in a new region or country. A close meaning is a place or a region under cultivation.

Some refer to a farm as an agricultural estate worked by resident labor or a large farm in arid or semi-arid areas of the world, where a particular crop is grown.

Here are more meanings of plantation:

• A piece of clothing or furnishings suitable for a plantation or tropical region.
• A small forest.
• A country with political control of another country, such as a colony, holding, or both.

How To Properly Use Farm and Plantation In Your Sentences

Besides learning the definitions, you must also know how to use each word correctly. In the case of farm and plantation, the first step is understanding that they are not synonyms. Let’s learn how and when to use these words.

How And When To Use The Word Farm

One thing you should note about the word “farm” is you can use it as a noun or as a verb. Use it as a noun when referring to where agricultural activities such as growing crops and raising livestock occur. Apply it as a verb when referring to people or things that work on or are used for farming.

The word also applies when referring to a system where someone receives the right to collect taxes owned by the state. The person given this right was often auctioned off to the highest bidder. Also, when referring to units of water body devoted to growing particular animals, fruits, plants, or animals.

How And When To Use The Word Plantation

Plantation can be a noun or an adjective. As a noun, use it when referring to a large agricultural property dedicated to planting a few crops on a large scale. As an adjective, use the word to refer to someone that works or something used on a plantation. It also refers to a garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth.

Farm Vs Plantation: Differences

There is a reason why the words farm and plantations are often confusing. Both these words refer to agricultural land. So, we will discuss the differences between these words so that you can easily distinguish them.

1. Size: A farm is small, mostly less than 2 hectares. While plantations are large, they can be over 200 hectares.
2. Purpose: The main purpose of a farm is to cultivate for personal use, although there are times when they can be used for commercial purposes. Plantations grow trees or plants purely for commercial purposes.
3. Owners: Most farms belong to individuals, families, or small organizations. Government bodies or large companies own most of the plantations.

Farm Vs. Plantation: Consider The Following About These Words

Firstly, these words are agricultural terms referring to land used for agricultural purposes. However, as highlighted earlier, they have different meanings and usage outside this definition.

Secondly, most people are never keen when spelling these words. A misspelled word could change the message you are trying to pass. So, the correct spelling of farm is “F.A.R.M.” and plantation is “P.L.A.N.T.A.T.I.O.N.”

Thirdly, in slang, farm means staying in one area so that you can acquire more items or money. Plantation is a fancy way to say a gated community.

List Of Examples Of Farm And Plantation In A Sentence

Creating sentences is one of the best ways to memorize words. We have compiled a few sentences with the words’ farm and plantation. Practicing these words will help you to understand and memorize these words easily.

Example sentences of the word farm

1. Martha grew up on a dairy farm.
2. Leon’s vegetable farm is not thriving.
3. Kevin is looking for a loan to invest in a pig farm.
4. Wilson’s idea is to name his fish farm; Wilson’s Fish Palace.
5. Do you think that it is easy to run a successful farm?

Example sentences of the word plantation

1. Our lesson today was about how slaves worked on plantations.
2. There’s a family feud over who will inherit the Eastern Plantation.
3. John likes farming, and his biggest ambition is to own a plantation.
4. During our wine-tasting tour, we came across acres of plantations.
5. The entire plantation burned down last night.

Conclusion

You now understand how to use the words farm and plantation. You cannot use these words interchangeably. Practice each word by reading the sentences above and creating other creative sentences to share with your peers.