Farm forests, i.e. forests managed by farmers, are important components of French landscapes. Farmers, who do not have knowledge in sylviculture in general, harvest them for firewood and timberwood, but also for hunting, mushroom harvesting or grazing. The social and ecological functions of these woods call for a better understanding of their management. These private woods are mainly small (< 25 ha) and thus are not submitted to French management regulations. We present the conclusions of three multidisciplinary long term studies, in south west of France, based on historical, social and technical analyses of the particularities of these woodlots. Results showed that the traditional social system (“house-centered system”) is still influencing forest management, despite its loosing of importance. Woodlots are parts of the agricultural systems but some cultural features limit the implementation modern forestry practices. The roles of farm forests have to be considered on a larger landscape scale perspective.