Agricultural apprenticeships offer hands-on experiential learning through intensive mentorship to the next generation of farmers and ranchers. New Entry Sustainable Farming Project works to coordinate the Ag Apprenticeship Learning Network (AgALN) to facilitate the growth of more mentorship opportunities to jointly train and support new agrarians. We conduct a yearly survey of apprenticeship programs, and this data represents 45 program responses over three years of reported information (2017, 2018, and 2019).

The development of a registered Apprenticeship is based on a DACUM (or Developing a Curriculum), a formal process for defining skills and knowledge needed to be considered competent for a skilled occupation.

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. 

The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Candidate Tipsheet provides mentor candidates with tips for what to include in their profile, and factors to consider when looking for apprentices. This includes what information should be shared and how to make an interesting profile for apprentice applications.

Rogue Farm Corps’ internship and apprenticeship programs are designed to train the next generation of farmers and ranchers through a structured, educational framework that includes on-farm training, classes, farm tours, discussion groups, and independent projects.  These programs are designed to meet the legal criteria for unpaid internships and apprenticeships. Host farmers partner with Rogue Farm Corps and serve as primary mentors for the interns and apprentices on their farm.

Vilicus Farms' registered apprenticeship listing is an example that can be used to advertise your apprenticeship. Vilicus Farms is a first generation, nationally recognized organic, dryland crop farm located in northern Hill County, Montana. Established in 2009, Vilicus Farms grows a diverse array of heirloom and specialty grains, pulse, oilseed and broadleaf crops within a 5+year rotation on approximately 5,000 acres. Vilicus Farms practices advanced land stewardship at a scale that matters.

While there are finite legal categories for on-farm labor and learning, many farms structure learning in ways that aren’t adequately described by existing terms, or that stretch the standard definitions of legal options. Here we suggest some terms and definitions for commonly used labor and learning arrangements. As a community of practice evolves in this work, we hope to continue to modify and refine these definitions. This short guide, adapted from the Ag Apprenticeship Toolkit, is intended for existing and aspiring mentor farmers and ag apprenticeship programs. 

Safety on the farm: Getting your Apprentice started with good safety habits. Tip sheet from Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA)

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

Leadership Styles: The example we set for our Apprentice. Tip sheet from Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA)