Best term for a household farm

Question

Russian law allows households to possess a certain amount of land (1-6 acres) where family members can grow vegetables, fruits and so forth and sell such agricultural products freely without paying taxes.

I am looking for the best translation of the definition for such farms in English. Therefore, my question for native speakers is this: which variant from the following possibitilies seems most appropriate to you?

• household ancillary farm
• private subsidiary farm(ing)
• household plot

Or something else?

Answer 1

The term 'household ancillary farm' would seem somewhat convoluted in any context. As an adjective, the word 'ancillary' more commonly describes staff or services.

The term 'private subsidiary farm' might be appropriate in a formal context, if analysing agriculture or economics.

'Household plot' is quite a direct translation of a term used in parts of Eastern Europe. In English-speaking parts of the world it would be unlikely to convey a sense that the farmer was selling the produce for a profit.

In everyday usage the the word 'smallholding' is far more common than any of those terms. How much produce the smallholder could sell before attracting the attention of the tax authorities would depend on the jurisdiction.

Answer 2

This kind of small holding is often referred to as a market garden, especially when the produce is intended to be sold rather than consumed by the grower.

A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under one acre (0.4 ha) to a few acres, or sometimes in greenhouses distinguishes it from other types of farming.

Wikipedia: Market Garden