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.

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.

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. 

When delivered in a timely, thoughtful and skillful manner, feedback can be one of the most effective tools for both professional development and trust building between learner and mentor. This short guide offers several constructive approaches for mentors to provide feedback and evaluation to ag apprentices. This short guide, adapted from the Ag Apprentice Toolkit, is intended for existing and aspiring mentor farmers and ag apprentice programs. 

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

Thoughts on teaching adult learners 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.

Presenters: Abby Sadauckas, farmer and the project manager for the grant; Leslie Forstadt, Human Development Specialist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

You may have found yourself asking: “Why is it so hard to manage the people on my farm?” or “Why do apprentices take so much time?” or “How can I be a better mentor?” or “What’s the best approach for curriculum design for apprenticeship programs?”

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.