Works the soil is a job description that involves farming, hoeing, and tilling. Farming is the process of cultivating land and raising crops or livestock. Hoeing is the act of using a tool to break up and turn over the soil in order to aerate it and prepare it for planting. Tilling is the process of breaking up and loosening the soil in order to make it suitable for planting. All three of these activities are necessary for successful crop production.