How to get into farming these days?
April 15, 2019 5:01 PM Subscribe
I have, after years of consideration, decided to quit my desk job in Seattle and find a farming job next spring. What do I need to know??
I would prefer to work on an organic produce farm within a 1-3 hour drive of Seattle. I have woofed before but have no official previous experience. My qualifications are a mechanical engineering degree and 4 years work experience as a mechanical engineer (not exactly relevant :/). Looking for suggestions on where to start looking for farm jobs, red flags to watch out for, where to live while working, what to do in the off-season, etc. Would love to hear personal stories/experiences. I am 95% sure that this is the right choice, but am still open to well-reasoned arguments if anyone out there has made this switch and thinks it's the worst idea ever.
I've wanted to do this for years, I haven't made the switch yet because I have been worried about money, lack of health insurance, fear of feeling isolated out on a farm, etc. but I feel that it's probably time to try now that I have some savings to fall back on if something goes wrong. I am leaning towards living in a camper van during the work week and driving into Seattle to stay with friends on any weekends/days off. Would love suggestions on how to find a farm with a good community feel so it doesn't get too lonely (I am a woman in my mid-twenties, and while I am definitely introverted I still value having people to talk to on the day-to-day).
I would prefer to work on an organic produce farm within a 1-3 hour drive of Seattle. I have woofed before but have no official previous experience. My qualifications are a mechanical engineering degree and 4 years work experience as a mechanical engineer (not exactly relevant :/). Looking for suggestions on where to start looking for farm jobs, red flags to watch out for, where to live while working, what to do in the off-season, etc. Would love to hear personal stories/experiences. I am 95% sure that this is the right choice, but am still open to well-reasoned arguments if anyone out there has made this switch and thinks it's the worst idea ever.
I've wanted to do this for years, I haven't made the switch yet because I have been worried about money, lack of health insurance, fear of feeling isolated out on a farm, etc. but I feel that it's probably time to try now that I have some savings to fall back on if something goes wrong. I am leaning towards living in a camper van during the work week and driving into Seattle to stay with friends on any weekends/days off. Would love suggestions on how to find a farm with a good community feel so it doesn't get too lonely (I am a woman in my mid-twenties, and while I am definitely introverted I still value having people to talk to on the day-to-day).
Hie thee to the Tilth Producers Conference!
Also, an ME is crazy relevant to farming.
posted by stet at 5:35 PM on April 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also, an ME is crazy relevant to farming.
posted by stet at 5:35 PM on April 15, 2019 [2 favorites]
Rochester, WA and the Chehalis river area are chock full of tiny farms. Helsing Junction, Rising River, Wobbly Cart, etc. Several of them sell at farmer's markets in Olympia. Just head down there and start knocking on doors!
posted by MonsieurBon at 6:51 PM on April 15, 2019
posted by MonsieurBon at 6:51 PM on April 15, 2019
If you can volunteer regularly with a CSA or pick up part-time work on a farm this season, that's ideal as far as figuring out if you like it / what you're looking for in a farm job. Hitting a less-trafficked farmer's market and getting to know farms and farmers is also a good bet - most farms sell at multiple markets, but the weekend markets will probably be too busy for much chatting. And a lot of smaller farms get by because they have off-farm income - it's common for folks to have day (or night) jobs and farm as a passion project.
(I didn't like it, I do not have the physical endurance for it, I was on food stamps during my farm internship, and I got attacked by the farm dog. After a meandering path, I now do ag research, which is a better fit for me.)
posted by momus_window at 8:41 PM on April 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
(I didn't like it, I do not have the physical endurance for it, I was on food stamps during my farm internship, and I got attacked by the farm dog. After a meandering path, I now do ag research, which is a better fit for me.)
posted by momus_window at 8:41 PM on April 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Left field, but Washington state has legal cannabis. If I was in your position - with the mech eng background - I'd call up a whole bunch of cannabis growers, some claim organic, and see if you can volunteer/ be paid to tend plants for them.
The bonus here is that your mech eng background could be a huge boon for them to optimize their lighting/ fertigation/ whatever systems. Or more efficient greenhouses (modern greenhouses can be complicated AF).
Huge potential for patenting new designs and spinning off a separate company.
Right now, I'm in the market for an engineering solution for transplanting - at scale - tiny little tissue-culture derived plantlets into a traditional solid media for acclimatization/ hardening. Need to do something like a million of these over the course of a year (2700 a day, or more likely, 8000 a day three times a week).
We're currently working with a roboticist/ mech eng to automate a lot of the cleaning/ media preparation for tissue culture for our big phase 2 project.
posted by porpoise at 11:48 AM on April 16, 2019
The bonus here is that your mech eng background could be a huge boon for them to optimize their lighting/ fertigation/ whatever systems. Or more efficient greenhouses (modern greenhouses can be complicated AF).
Huge potential for patenting new designs and spinning off a separate company.
Right now, I'm in the market for an engineering solution for transplanting - at scale - tiny little tissue-culture derived plantlets into a traditional solid media for acclimatization/ hardening. Need to do something like a million of these over the course of a year (2700 a day, or more likely, 8000 a day three times a week).
We're currently working with a roboticist/ mech eng to automate a lot of the cleaning/ media preparation for tissue culture for our big phase 2 project.
posted by porpoise at 11:48 AM on April 16, 2019
I think you should do it. Many folks find it's not their forever career, but it's still a cool experience. I never apprenticed but I dialed down my career for a few years to help run a farm, and I have few regrets.
Based on your interests, you are looking for a formal apprenticeship on a smaller farm, versus an hourly job on a larger farm (the kind a high school kid would do for the summer). Would be a good idea to visit some farms so that you know what a well-run farm looks like and what appeals to you. There may be specific skills you want to learn (fruit trees, permaculture, whatever). Probably goes without saying, but your "organic" farm may not be certified and that's okay.
Like any job interview, make sure your employer is easy to work with, respects and values employees, and has good farming and business sense. A long working interview will give you the opportunity to decide if you like each other. You should ask to speak with former apprentices as references.
Regarding compensation, some farm apprentices work for free or almost free, but I don't recommend this - not only is it unethical, but it shows that the farm has a questionable business model. That said, part of your compensation may be housing - you may not need the camper van. Hours should be long but not endless. You should have a defined schedule and at least one day off every week.
Definitely mention your engineering background; if you are handy with building / repairing / designing stuff, you will be valuable.
I don't think you should worry about feeling isolated. There will probably be other apprentices, and in my experience farmers belong to tight-knit social communities. You will be invited to many potlucks. But don't get too attached to the idea of visiting Seattle frequently - you'll likely be at farmers market on Saturday, and on your day(s) off you may be too tired for big city adventures.
Are you planning on having health insurance? You will be doing physical work all day, so I want you to have health insurance! See what you can get in terms of COBRA or ACA.
Here's one place to find gigs - there are probably other websites (or even listservs) for your area. Remember that the farm season starts early!
posted by toastedcheese at 11:53 AM on April 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
Based on your interests, you are looking for a formal apprenticeship on a smaller farm, versus an hourly job on a larger farm (the kind a high school kid would do for the summer). Would be a good idea to visit some farms so that you know what a well-run farm looks like and what appeals to you. There may be specific skills you want to learn (fruit trees, permaculture, whatever). Probably goes without saying, but your "organic" farm may not be certified and that's okay.
Like any job interview, make sure your employer is easy to work with, respects and values employees, and has good farming and business sense. A long working interview will give you the opportunity to decide if you like each other. You should ask to speak with former apprentices as references.
Regarding compensation, some farm apprentices work for free or almost free, but I don't recommend this - not only is it unethical, but it shows that the farm has a questionable business model. That said, part of your compensation may be housing - you may not need the camper van. Hours should be long but not endless. You should have a defined schedule and at least one day off every week.
Definitely mention your engineering background; if you are handy with building / repairing / designing stuff, you will be valuable.
I don't think you should worry about feeling isolated. There will probably be other apprentices, and in my experience farmers belong to tight-knit social communities. You will be invited to many potlucks. But don't get too attached to the idea of visiting Seattle frequently - you'll likely be at farmers market on Saturday, and on your day(s) off you may be too tired for big city adventures.
Are you planning on having health insurance? You will be doing physical work all day, so I want you to have health insurance! See what you can get in terms of COBRA or ACA.
Here's one place to find gigs - there are probably other websites (or even listservs) for your area. Remember that the farm season starts early!
posted by toastedcheese at 11:53 AM on April 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
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You will get people telling you not to, that you won't like it, that's is hard, that you can't earn money this way etc... And you know, it's pretty much just like anything else: is not easy, not for everyone, and not everyone makes money off it. Just like almost any other profession out there. Get some experience.
I'll MeMail you ten million links later tonight!
posted by jrobin276 at 5:18 PM on April 15, 2019 [5 favorites]