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Adapting As a New Farmer

Lyndsey had been working in events and concert production when she found herself craving work that was more rewarding.  She wanted have impact on making the world a better place.  She left her entertainment-facing job and worked in a nonprofit.  Still not satisfied, she found her way to the School for Adaptive Agriculture in Willets, California.

When I met Lyndsey, she was a student at the school.  Its new farmer training program is only 14 weeks long.  It focuses on giving participants exposure to as many aspects of farming as possible.  The belief of the founders is that every farmer, every piece of land, and every farming situation is different.  What new farmers need as they start out is a combination of skills that together build the ability to adapt to any farming situation.

The school itself has five main focus areas in which it tries to give attendees experience: business development, crop production, livestock, sustainability through adaptability, and industrial arts (which includes carpentry, small engine repair, plumbing, welding, and blacksmithing). 

“When I first came here, I wanted to focus on growing crops.  Then, because I had to do it as part of the curriculum, I started working with animals.  It turned out I enjoyed animal husbandry more than growing vegetables.  If I’d gone to a program where I had to pick one focus area going into the school, I’d not have had enough experience to know what I wanted to work with.”
I asked Lyndsey what she liked most about her experience as a farmer-in-training so far.  “Aligning your work with your feelings, learning with and being inspired by like-minded people, and learning so much about so many small details important to farm life.” 

What does she think will be most challenging looking ahead? Having to lease land instead of owning it, because she can’t afford to buy land in California.  “When you put time into developing farmland, you put in sweat equity.  You’re building soil quality and grass quality that can sustain itself.  That takes time - years.  And you could lose that time investment if you lose access to land you’re leasing.  It seems consistently like one of the tougher things I’ve seen the farmers we’ve visited deal with.”

What has she been most inspired by at school?  “The pace of self-learning and self-organizing.  We just get things done.  We visit two or three other farms every week and also attend networking events and eco-fairs.  Because the focus is on being adaptive, they teach you what I really do think is the most necessary skillset for farming: the balance between planning and reacting.”