strip farm: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Historical / Agricultural
Quick answer
What does “strip farm” mean?
A farm where the land is cultivated in long, narrow strips, often as part of a historical or traditional agricultural system.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A farm where the land is cultivated in long, narrow strips, often as part of a historical or traditional agricultural system.
Historically, a farm or area of farmland organised under the open-field system, where individual tenants or owners cultivated separate strips of land intermingled with those of others. The term can also apply to modern large-scale farms where crops like corn or wheat are planted in very long, continuous rows.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, the term is almost exclusively historical, referring to the medieval and early modern open-field system. In American English, while the historical sense is understood, it can also describe a modern, large-scale farming practice with very long crop rows, particularly in the Midwest.
Connotations
UK: Medieval history, communal farming, pre-enclosure. US: Historical context OR modern, efficient, large-scale monoculture.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general language. More likely encountered in UK English in historical or academic texts about agriculture. In US English, it may appear in agricultural trade publications or historical documentaries.
Grammar
How to Use “strip farm” in a Sentence
[The/village's] strip farms [were/are] scattered across the open fields.Farmers [worked/cultivated] individual strip farms.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “strip farm” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The lord of the manor would strip farm the common fields among the tenants.
- The land was strip farmed for centuries before enclosure.
American English
- Some large agribusinesses strip farm thousands of acres for efficiency.
- They decided to strip farm the new parcel to reduce soil erosion on slopes.
adverb
British English
- The land was cultivated strip-fashion across the township.
American English
- The fields were planted strip-farm style for miles.
adjective
British English
- The strip-farm system defined medieval rural life.
- We studied strip-farm agriculture in history class.
American English
- The strip-farm layout was visible from the air.
- They use a strip-farm approach for their soybean operation.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare. Might appear in heritage tourism or agricultural history publishing.
Academic
Used in historical, geographical, or agricultural studies to describe pre-industrial land use patterns.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Used in agricultural history, archaeology, and historical geography.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “strip farm”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “strip farm”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “strip farm”
- Using 'strip farm' to mean a farm that has been cleared of trees ('stripped').
- Confusing it with 'farm strip' (a small private airfield on a farm).
- Assuming it is a common modern term.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The traditional medieval system is not. However, the basic concept of planting in long, narrow rows (strip cropping) is a common modern practice for erosion control, but this is not typically called 'strip farming' in a historical sense.
Inefficiency. Time was wasted moving between scattered strips, and collective decision-making on planting and harvesting could be slow. It also prevented farmers from experimenting with new methods on their consolidated land.
A strip farm was a collection of unhedged, intermingled strips in a large open field shared by the community. An enclosed farm is a single, consolidated piece of land surrounded by hedges, walls, or fences, owned and operated independently.
It would be unusual and potentially confusing. Terms like 'row-crop farm', 'large-scale arable farm', or simply describing 'long, linear fields' are more appropriate for modern contexts.
A farm where the land is cultivated in long, narrow strips, often as part of a historical or traditional agricultural system.
Strip farm is usually technical / historical / agricultural in register.
Strip farm: in British English it is pronounced /strɪp fɑːm/, and in American English it is pronounced /strɪp fɑːrm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly associated.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a chocolate BAR being broken into long, thin STRIPS – each strip is a separate 'strip farm' for one farmer in a big, shared field.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAND IS A FABRIC to be cut into strips; AGRICULTURE IS A PATTERN of division and allocation.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'strip farm' most accurately used?