So, You Think You Can Farm

Caretaker Farm I was inspired by a comment from a post last week asking how to start a farm. Luckily, I have amazing friends who went from working in Philadelphia to starting up their own farm in rural New York and I got to follow them on their journey. Before I get into the nitty gritty of setting up your own farm (that'll be a few posts of their own), I want to suggest that you follow my friends path which led them to a few apprenticeships on a farm. Just like you won't become a doctor without medical school, a lawyer without law school, or a union plumber without being a apprentice, you shouldn't think you can start a farm right away. There is a lot to learn- from Aphids to green Zebra tomato's, and sadly, with our dependence on grocery stores, we've lost a lot of this knowledge. So, if you are serious about becoming a farmer, you need spend a season or two learning from a farmer. I had a chance to visit my friends while they were apprentice's at Caretaker Farm near Williamstown, MA ( home of Williams College). The farm is beyond beautiful, nestled in the Berkshire Mountains, complete with a little pond and the most adorable lambs, and of course, organic and sustainable. My friends learned from the brilliant and diligent Sam and Elizabeth Smith, founders of Caretaker Farm, but who are now retired. Fortunately, they passed on their farm to Don and Bridget, along with their two young children, keeping the apprenticeship program.
Besides Caretaker Farm, for those of you in the Northeast, I recommend that you reach out to the Northeast Organic Farmers Association and look at attending their conferences. You can also decide to WOOF it- or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms where you can choose almost anywhere in the world and spend time working and learning, even getting paid a little.
If you want to be a farmer- go for it and learn all you can. We need farmers committed to sustainability more now than ever!