This report presents a draft plan for a Hudson Valley-wide farmer apprenticeship program coordinated by the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in Cold Spring, NY. The program supports host farms to provide robust apprenticeships by offering program structure, direct training, resource coordination and network building for apprentices and for mentors.

This toolkit is designed to introduce apprenticeship training programs to the topics and frameworks that mentors have identified as challenges and that are important for mentors to address to offer a successful learning experience for their trainees. While agricultural mentors are likely experts in their field with many years of experience running an agricultural business, they still benefit from improving their skills and capacities as mentors,

The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) conducted a DACUM (Designing and Curriculum) process to help inform the skills and competencies of their Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship (DVA) Program. This document introduces the apprenticeship program, describes the program requirements, the mentor and apprentice qualifications required, and provides examples of their skills evaluation forms, training topics, and related technical instruction tracking forms. 

Northeast Organic Farming Association - New York designed this “On Farm Skills Development Guide”

The NOFA-NY skills guide is a template where mentors and mentees can track progress of various skills across farming, including specific knowledge related to livestock, business, fruit, dairy, produce, and repair. The guide also includes a template for periodic evaluations.

These skills sheets are used at San Juan Ranch to conduct periodic skills assessments with their interns and apprentices to assess learning and mastery of the various skills taught on the ranch.  These are used in conversation with each apprentice to assess and celebrate learning and identify areas for further improvement.

Onboarding: An orientation guide for your Apprentice’s first days. A tip sheet from Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA)

Join Laura Paine from Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) to hear about DGA’s work on understanding and working with adult learners in an agricultural setting. DGA is a federally registered apprenticeship program with 150 approved farms across 11 states providing on-farm mentorship. Laura will share materials that DGA has been working on for professional development of ag apprenticeship masters/mentors.

SAEA Webinar January 17th 2018 @ 2pm (eastern time), 11am (pacific time)
Agricultural Apprenticeships: Resources for Best Practices

Agenda:

Apprenticeships on small, sustainability farms are an important strategy for beginning farmer training, and farmers often find it a fulfilling way to meet labor needs on the farm. They are also a space where apprentices and farmers alike are critically engaged in transforming the agrifood system as part of the alternative agrifood movement.

Webinar recording: This online event launched the Ag Apprenticeship Toolkit and offered a briefing on the power of networks by Andrew Crosson of Rural Support Partners. This event included a tour of the Ag Apprenticeship Toolkit, the capstone resource from Year 1 of the National Ag Apprenticeship Learning Network, and detailed how participation in networks can strengthen local, regional and national food systems work.

A Guide to Developing or Improving an Ag Apprenticeship Training Program on Your Farm or Ranch
This toolkit was developed by the Ag Apprenticeship Learning Network, including New Entry and the following partners: Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Rogue Farm Corps, Quivira Coalition, Vilicus Farms

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