7 C.F.R. § 1400.601
Definitions.
Cite as 7 C.F.R. § 1400.601 (2026)
(a) The terms defined in § 1400.3 are applicable to this subpart and all documents issued in accordance with this part, except as otherwise provided in this section.
(b) The following definitions are also applicable to this subpart:
Active personal management
means personally providing and participating in management activities considered critical to the profitability of the farming operation and performed under one or more of the following categories:
(i) Capital, which includes:
(A) Arranging financing and managing capital;
(B) Acquiring equipment;
(C) Acquiring land and negotiating leases;
(D) Managing insurance; and
(E) Managing participation in USDA programs;
(ii) Labor, which includes hiring and managing of hired labor; and
(iii) Agronomics and marketing, which includes:
(A) Selecting crops and making planting decisions;
(B) Acquiring and purchasing crop inputs;
(C) Managing crops (that is, whatever managerial decisions are needed with respect to keeping the growing crops living and healthy—soil fertility and fertilization, weed control, insect control, irrigation if applicable) and making harvest decisions; and
(D) Pricing and marketing of crop production.
Significant contribution of active personal management
means active personal management activities performed by a person, with a direct or indirect ownership interest in the farming operation, on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis to the farming operation, and meets at least one of the following to be considered significant:
(i) Performs at least 25 percent of the total management hours required for the farming operation on an annual basis; or
(ii) Performs at least 500 hours of management annually for the farming operation.
Significant contribution of the combination of active personal labor and active personal management
means a contribution of a combination of active personal labor and active personal management that:
(i) Is critical to the profitability of the farming operation;
(ii) Is performed on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis; and
(iii) Meets the following required number of hours:
Table 1 to Paragraph
(iii)
of the Definition of Significant Contribution of the Combination of Active Personal Labor and Active Personal Management
Combination of active personal labor and active personal management minimum requirement for a significant contribution
Management contribution in hours
Labor contribution
in hours
Meets the minimum threshold for
significant
contribution,
in hours
475
75
550
450
100
550
425
225
650
400
250
650
375
375
750
350
400
750
325
425
750
300
550
850
275
575
850
250
600
850
225
625
850
200
650
850
175
675
850
150
800
950
125
825
950
100
850
950
75
875
950
50
900
950
25
925
950
[85 FR 73602, Nov. 19, 2020]
- Cross-references to the CFR
- 1400.3