Suzie ’s Farm / Flickr
At some point in time , a farmer will look around his or her blank space and think , “ If only I had a little excess help … ” If you ’ve lost lead of how many times you ’ve said this , it might be worth deliberate bringing on an apprentice to help oneself lighten the work load . The reasons for hiring an apprentice are many : Perhaps this farmer does n’t have the money to pay for an employee quite yet , or is already paying one and ca n’t afford another . possibly the farmer originate out as an apprentice years before and simply wants to declare oneself that same opportunity to someone else . Whatever the case , there are several consideration that must go into deciding whether or not an apprentice would fit in well on your farm . Even though it might seem like the best root for free or cheap help , it can sorely be the opposite .
Do You Have Your Routine Down?
On a personal level , it ’s overbold to make certain you yourself are prepared to have anapprenticebefore offer an apprenticeship . A lot of project to do does n’t necessarily give you enough grounds to ask round an learner to come help . stupefy your routine down and maybe having a few years of farming your own land under your belt , can give you the confidence and experience you may require to guide your learner , guarantee thing pass more expeditiously . Apprentices will bet to you for guidance on the 24-hour interval - to - daytime operations , and they may will or become disgruntled if they find you ’re not ready to learn them .
Are You A Good Judge Of Character?
Many of the best next farmers are looking for apprenticeship — sometimes callinternships — right now . That being said , not everyone depend for a farming apprenticeship is a hard , hard - working lad trying to rule a good farming education . There are definitely those who — to be delicate — are less ambitious . weed out the good from the bad , however , is not always easy . You might utter to an applicant on the phone who seems perfect , but when he or she gets to the farm , ca n’t do by the long days or the heat , and they wind up either allow for mid - season or merely not being helpful .
If you design to rely on an apprentice for supporter with your time of year , take time to vet all applier thoroughly . inquire for and check mention if you have doubts — and even if you do n’t . Have each applicant work at least one whole day on the farm before the time of year begins — a “ see how we work together ” day . tempt them out , do some small project , have a meal with every possible apprentice and honor them . See if they ’re enthusiastic about helping . See if they pop the question to do the stunner : a in effect show of character reference . Have a friend follow over for a 2nd judgment . A prospicient time of year with a just prentice can be cracking for you , the farm and the learner . A long time of year with a bad one ? Perish the sentiment .
Will An Apprentice Actually Save You Time?
Bear in thinker , an prentice will not in all probability deliver you much clock time — at least not at first . Most the great unwashed looking for a farm apprenticeship have trivial or no farming experience . You ’ll have to be there from the beginning to show them how to do everything they ’ve never done before and to make certain they ’re doing it right . you may take nothing for granted here . You may have them doing something simple , likepulling weeds , only to later find out they pull out all the tomatillo plants because they did n’t yet live the dispute . It is n’t until later in the season , when that individual has become accustomed to the subroutine , that his or her value will show .
Where Will They Sleep?
Some farms allow the apprentice to sleep in a supererogatory sleeping room in the household with the family , particularly if there are no other accommodations . To each his own , but advert to the “ Judge of Character ” question before decide this is the right path for you . Sharing personal space with strangers and all their unknown habits can be exhausting . Both parties necessitate privacy and time aside . deliberate building a little room onto a barn or a disjoined “ apprentice housing ” complex body part all if communal living is n’t one of your goals .
What Will They Eat?
take on an apprentice means taking on another oral fissure to feed — a very hungry one after farsighted Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of work . ( intend : teenager appetite . ) It just is n’t fair to make someone bring hard for you for flash or detached and not tender them alimentation . The price of nutrient — rice , bread , cheese , Lens culinaris or anything else you do n’t grow yourself — has to be take into account . If you grow a lot of veggie , this might not be a heavy deal . If you are a strictly Bos taurus operation , it might be a dissimilar account .
Where Will They Hang Out?
Space is more important to some people than it is to others , and there will be times on days off when the learner will just be around the farm . Perhaps you ’re hunky-dory with sharing your space with that someone , and that ’s keen , but at some pointedness , you ’ll call for a little fourth dimension apart , and you should point those rules beforehand . Asking the apprentice not to hang out on your porch or in your animation elbow room mid - time of year can cause rifts and generally awkward conversation . Making an “ Apprentice Manual ” that you could put out at the start of the season works nicely for laying out expectation for your apprentices .
Can You Afford The Damage?
Almost every sodbuster who has ever had an apprentice , has his or her learner tragedy stories . Trucks crashed into other truck . Tractors cryptically flipped . Barns burn down . loose help , in this instance , is not exactly liberal , and it ’s not exactly the learner fault either . Accidents happen , but when you ’re asking an too excited untested somebody to do very technical employment they ’ve never done before , gestate and describe for a few stroke a year .
These are just some of the big question you ’ll desire to consider as you decide whether to take on an apprentice next year , but surely there are others that are specific to your situation . Take some time beforehand to talk it out with your family and your employee to break if it ’s the correct step for you . You might chance that what you really need is a part - sentence employee––heck , it may be a mint cheaper .
