### Question
How is the "beginning farmer or rancher" defined?


### Answer
The term **beginning farmer or rancher** is defined in *7 U.S.C. § 1502* as follows -

> a farmer or rancher who has not actively operated and managed a farm or ranch with a bona fide insurable interest in a crop or livestock as an owner-operator, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper for more than 5 crop years, as determined by the Secretary

#### Citation:
  - *7 U.S.C. § 1502*
  - Heading: **CHAPTER 36-CROP INSURANCE > SUBCHAPTER I-FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE**

