Great Apprentices…..

I have been so focused on the workload required of my husband and I this season because of the folks we hired who did not fulfill their commitment to us, that I felt I was overly negative of the new “me generation”, so I thought I should post about Apprentices that we hired in the past who were very dedicated to farming/homesteading, were amazing workers, and who have continued to pursue a farming/homesteading oriented career.  These apprentices made our farming seasons “easy” in that they were extremely dedicated workers who helped us meet our CSA production goals.  They didn’t quit when the work was too hard and they didn’t quit when their backs hurt from working 8 to 10 hour days in the fields with the sun blaring.  These are the folks who kept on pushing themselves while understanding the importance of the education we provide, leaving me to believe that we will find many other folks have the same perseverance and dedication to fulfill a commitment given the opportunity!
Mandy, who spent a couple years on the farm, has purchased a farm for herself in Tennessee and is now running her own farm, for us it is very exciting hearing the news from her farm.  She has a great barter system in Tennessee with her neighbors and is already growing crops for market, meat birds for her family, and laying chickens for eggs.     Her biggest success is Piper, her and Trappers daughter, and Piper is gorgeous and brings great joy to Mandy and Trappers lives! Mandy will be extremely successful because she is VERY hard working and DRIVEN!
My husband just spoke with Tim and Stephanie, who apprenticed with us four years ago, and they just bought land and have big plans for their farming operation.  Both Stephanie and Tim were excellent apprentices and they have two lovely children, River and Meadow, and we are certain that Tim and Stephanie will be able to live off the land and earn an income from their farming operation.  They are hard working and DRIVEN!
Amelia, who apprenticed with us from Sterling College in Vermont, we learned from the last email we received that she is currently homesteading/farming with her husband and they just had a baby.  I am going to make it a point to try and contact her because she had amazing energy, a great mind for farming, and the perseverance to make it living off the land.  She taught us much about raising meat chickens for which we are extremely thankful!  She is probably farming with draft horses which was her passion!
Marion and Dean who apprenticed with us a few years back is very successful at homesteading.  They have a lovely landscaped yard, chickens, a HUGE garden, and also have a beautiful little boy Forest who brings complete joy to their lives.
Thinking back, we might just have been unlucky the last couple years in our interviewing and hiring, but I have believe that we will continue to find people who REALY want to FARM and fulfill their COMMITMENTS!