Ask Ellen: How do I get started in farming?
Last month, I answered a reader’s question about getting started in the food business. No doubt, there are just as many people thinking about getting into agriculture and farming. I asked my friend and colleague, Ellen Polishuk, author of Start Your Farm to share her insights on how to get started in farming.
Dear Farmer Wanna-be,
Congratulations on considering working in agriculture! Here are a few ideas about how to enter an arena that is probably a bit mysterious to you.
- Formal Education: If you imagine that you are most interested in production ag, farming itself, then there are a few formal education options. (I advise folks that having a college degree of any sort is good insurance for ensuring more job options in the future.)
- Business degree – farming is first and foremost a business enterprise. Any course work aimed at small business owners and entrepreneurs should be applicable and useful.
- Horticulture/Agronomy degree – not necessary, but having a solid understanding of plant and soil science will serve you well.
- Work Experience: this is the most important area to spend time gaining. It’s always a good idea to get paid to learn. Choose a farm business that is in a bioregion that you want to farm in yourself. That farm should be financially successful. They should pay real wages, not a stipend. If the farm experience there is sound and fruitful, a second season there will be vastly rewarding.
- Farmer Training Programs: this is also a good choice as a newbie. There are many of these programs around the country. Again, think about the region you want to end up farming in, so you learn how to farm with those weather/climate conditions. This could be combined with a paid position, as above.
- Informal Education: there are many good books out there to learn about every aspect of farming. There are also vast resources on the web: you tube, on-line classes, websites. Explore these widely as you progress.
- Physical fitness: if you intend to be “in the field” for many years, it’s wise for you to learn how to take good care of your body. Farming is hard and physically demanding. It’s often done in uncomfortable and problematic positions (bent over!). You need to develop systems to undo/mitigate the issues that farming will bring to your physical well-being. Learn good stretching regimes, yoga, work outs etc. to balance your body.
Agriculture brings many opportunities to do good work for the world, for your soul, for your family. It is deeply challenging, and thus deeply rewarding. Good luck finding your place in the oldest and noblest of professions!
