"Agriculture", farming in all of its branches and the cultivation and tillage of the soil, dairying, the production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any agricultural, aquacultural, floricultural or horticultural commodities, the growing and harvesting of forest products upon forest land, the raising of livestock including horses, the keeping of horses as a commercial enterprise, the keeping and raising of poultry, swine, cattle and other domesticated animals used for food purposes, bees, fur-bearing animals, and any forestry or lumbering operations, performed by a farmer.
"Eligible borrower", any farmer who is a resident of the commonwealth and is at least 18 years of age. A borrower who is otherwise eligible shall not be eligible if such borrower is party to a pending legal or administrative action, including a contested case proceeding, related to an alleged violation involving animal feeding or care as regulated by the department of agricultural resources, whether the pending action is brought by the department or the attorney general.
"Eligible project", a project on a farm that will improve the economic viability of Massachusetts farms, retain or create private sector jobs, improve Massachusetts farm productivity and competitiveness, expand farm facilities as part of a modernization plan, support environmental projects on farms or expand and support markets and infrastructure to strengthen the farming industry.
"Farm", a body of land devoted to agriculture.
"Farmer", a person engaged in agriculture as herein defined, or on a farm, as an incident to or in conjunction with, such agricultural operations, including preparations for market, delivery to storage, or to market, or to carriers for transportation to market.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 20, § 28