Get with the Program

There are a number of programs for would-be apprentices. The explanation that follows is not exhaustive, I'm sure, but it outlines what I have found in looking for internships.

Though you can simply contact a farm that interests you by searching for it in a database like ATTRA Internships or Organic Volunteers, you can also send your application to farms through an organic farming agency like Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA VT) or Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). With this approach, you will be asked to fill out a standardized form, and you will then choose the farms that you want the agency to send your application to. This cuts down on the time it takes to fill out applications (you don't have to fill out ten different applications from ten different farms) and allows the agency to track your progress in getting an internship and to give you help if you are having problems finding a farm for the season.

There are also more structured, "official" programs such as those run by research centers (some universities have them), living history farms, and organizations. Howell Farm in New Jersey is one such internship. It offers interns the ability to work with trained staff in a supportive environment that is devoted to teaching. Tillers International, an organization devoted to helping low-income farmers use draft animal power, offers another structured program. The downside to such programs is that they may offer a limited view of the planning and management aspects of running a farm business, as it is not their primary goal to make money off of their crops. This is, indeed, a downside for a person who is looking to own a commercial farm.

Finally, Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) offers a directory of farms (which you have to pay for) willing to take short-notice, generally short-term, part-time or full-time workers. WWOOFers, as participants are generally known, are often more transient than apprentices, which can be either a positive or negative aspect of the program, depending on your point of view. WWOOF operates in many countries, including the U.S.

I have applied to Howell Farm and to three farms through MOFGA's program. On Friday, I had the chance to speak with Howell Farm's internship coordinator on the telephone. I like some of what I discovered about the farm (that it has trained staff who can pass on knowledge, and that it includes a wide variety of crops and livestock), but I was disappointed to hear that synthetic fertilizers are used on some of the fields, and that interns will probably not come away with comprehensive draft-animal driving skills. I want draft animals to be a big part of my experience this year, so this and the fact that the farm is not really a money-making business where I could learn business management skills makes Howell a second choice compared to some farms. It would still be a good option for this summer if nothing else turns out, however, and I do not mean to disparage it in any way. For many people wishing to get a general introduction to lower-technology farming or historical interpretation, it would be a great option.

I also got a list of contact information for farms from MOFGA on Friday, which I used to contact two of my chosen farms via phone (at the advice of the apprenticeship program's coordinator, who suggested that it might have a "personal touch"). I had to leave a message, and I have not yet gotten return calls from either farm. Hopefully I will soon. In the world of farm internships, patience is certainly a useful thing.