Which of the following is the chief characteristic of mixed farming?

1. Mixed farming is a type of agriculture that involves integrating both crop cultivation and animal husbandry/livestock rearing on the same farm. 2. Option (A) describes diversification of crops into cash crops and food crops, which can occur in various farming systems, not just mixed farming. 3. Option (B), cultivating two or more crops in the same field, defines mixed cropping or intercropping, which is a cropping pattern, not the overall farming system defined as mixed farming. 4. Option (C) accurately describes the chief characteristic of mixed farming: the simultaneous practice of rearing animals and cultivating crops together. This integration allows for synergies, such as using animal manure for crop fertilization and crop residues as animal feed.