Future Farming Hopes and Fears

Last night I was one of fifteen apprentices who met for an informal discussion about our “Future Farming Hopes and Fears.” Some people in this program already have land they are working; some people have worked for other farmers and wish to strike out on their own (that’s where Guy and I come in). Some people want to work in small gardens; others want thirty acres. Some people don’t want to grow crops at all, but rather wish to work in advocacy, education, government, or research laboratories. Some people have no idea what they want to do! However, we all know that our life work will be centered around sustainable food.

Most of the apprentices at last night’s meeting do want to make livings as farmers. We each took a turn stating our big dreams, what obstacles we face, practical next steps, and finally, one thing that we need that could be helpful now – the idea being that perhaps someone else in the circle would have a resource that could address that need. Needs ranged from “an affordable piece of land with access to water” to “a hay bailer” to “a scheduled follow-up discussion.”

I really needed to be part of this conversation. I have big plans, but I have not taken the time to settle down and address them since I got to Santa Cruz. There hasn’t been a lull in the action to ponder how my plans are developing. And boy, are they developing! Every time I learn a new skill I frame it in how I will apply it to my future farming dream. But tonight was the first time in months that I sat to think about its complete picture.

I described to the group – as succinctly as possible, which I attempt again here – what I want to do. First and foremost, I will matriculate into the master’s program in 'Agriculture, Food, and Environment' at Tufts University in Fall 2011. Need: a job in Boston. Need: to finish my M.S. debt-free in 2013, so that I may jump into starting an organic farm.

I will be starting this farm with some dear friends. Some of those who have heard our idea for what I envision as a “family” farm have probably dismissed it as naïve, idealistic, and doomed to leave us in poverty. Yeah, it’s idealistic – why reach for less than optimal health and happiness? I am going to do it. I am going to. It is what I want above all else. I could not be happy doing anything else for a living. No one at the meeting last night showed a flicker of doubt. They simply asked, “so what do you need?” Needs right now: help writing a business plan; models for farming communities – particularly how to manage business money, how to make group business decisions, how to manage space and property so that we can be a close-knit community but still have our own private spaces. Need: to know that people outside of this heaven of a bubble believe, too.

I’ll write more specifically about Future Farm (which we so happen to have nick-named it) next time.

Mer