Farms grow crops and raise animals. Fruits and vegetables are food crops that farmers grow. Wheat, corn and rice are grains that people around the world grow and eat. Flour for bread comes from wheat grain.

A seed has a tiny baby plant inside it. It has a seed coat that protects it and a food reserve that feeds the baby plant inside. Seeds need water and warmth to start growing.

Plants grow in soil, which gives them water, nutrients and support. Soil is made of mineral particles, organic matter, water and air. Earthworms live in soil and help break down dead plant material.

Irrigation brings water to crops through pipes, canals or sprinklers instead of relying on rain alone. Drip irrigation puts water right at the plant, which wastes less water than some other methods.

Bees make honey from the nectar of flowers. Honey bees make honey to store as food for the winter. Inside the hive, bees fan their wings to dry nectar into honey.

You may have heard that bees only matter because they make honey. In fact, bees also help fruits, nuts and other foods grow by visiting flowers. So bees matter for more than honey.

Some farm animals, such as cattle and sheep, eat grass in open fields called pastures. Some crops, such as oats and alfalfa, are grown to feed farm animals.

A dairy farm milks cows to get milk. Some chickens on farms, called layers, lay eggs. In the United States, eggs are cleaned and kept cold after hens lay them. Some fish and shellfish are raised on farms, which is called aquaculture.

You may think food just appears at the grocery store. In fact, trucks carry food from farms to markets. Food travels from a farm to a store and then to your home.

Words to know

• irrigation: watering crops
• nutrients: plant food
• pastures: grass fields
• aquaculture: farming fish

The short version

Food comes from farms, which grow crops and raise animals. Crops grow from seeds in soil with water, and bees help many foods grow by visiting flowers. Farm animals give foods such as milk and eggs. Food then travels from a farm to a store and then to your home.

Quick facts

• Irrigation brings water to crops through pipes, canals or sprinklers instead of relying on rain alone.
• Soil is made of mineral particles, organic matter, water and air.
• Bees fan their wings in the hive to dry nectar into honey.
• Bees help fruits, nuts and other foods grow by visiting flowers.
• Food travels from a farm to a store and then to your home.