"Farmers go about their business because they love it. They love to watch and grow plants, live in the presence of animals, work outdoors. They love the weather, even if it means they can't make money," Wendell Berry. Do you want to be a farmer but have never grown anything or raised livestock? Don't worry, this article will help you achieve your dream of becoming a farmer.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Learn About Farming
Step 1. Decide why you became interested in farming
It is a difficult job, requires a lot of responsibility and does not allow you to earn easy money. Most of this industry is built on tradition. If you have never cultivated in your life or do not have any agricultural experience and still want to become a farmer, you should be prepared to receive a lot of criticism from farmers and non-farmers alike. Prepare to confidently answer the question "Why do you want to farm?"
Prepare to receive strong criticism and comments. However, most people in the farming community are willing to give advice and encouragement to anyone who is interested in agriculture and has no prior experience
Step 2. Choose the type of agricultural activity you want to do
In most cases there are two types of activities: crops, which include grains (oilseeds, cereals and legumes), fruit orchards, berry farms, vineyards, vegetable, hay and forage production; and livestock, which includes the raising of dairy cattle, pigs, poultry, horses, lambs, goats, bees, or exotic animals. Organic agriculture is another sector of agriculture that covers all crop and livestock production, but is related to unconventional means of production of such products.
- Commercial or industrial farms depend on more than one company to have a working farm. For example, a dairy farm cannot generate good profits if it does not have forage, hay and grain businesses. Typically, a crop-only farm will harvest through rotary cropping with at least two crops per season, rotating cereal, oilseed, or legume crops each year to meet market demand for these crops. It is often considered that the larger the farm, the fewer sectors or companies participate in its operations. However, this is not always true and you shouldn't worry about it when choosing what to grow and how to grow it. You have every right to choose the companies and sectors you want for your farm.
- Many family farms or farms that depend on a single operator, large or small, have at least 5 (or more) companies involved in their operations. It is not at all uncommon for a family farm to be a combined farm, in other words, having both farming and raising livestock as part of its operations.
Step 3. Talk to some experienced farmers
Consider looking for farms that are more similar to the type of farm you want to establish. Find out if there are any you can visit in your area. Look online to find out about upcoming local county fairs or agricultural fairs, and visit them. There you will find serious and active producers with whom you can talk about agriculture.
- Ask them a lot of things like what they do (i.e. what type of operation they do), how the farms have changed over time, what they think about the future of their industry, and if you could visit their farm at some point. Farmers are usually friendly, humble, and cordial, but some are more cautious than others.
- Farmers markets are also a great place to meet farmers, especially those who specialize in a specific form of agriculture (like goat cheese, berries, etc.).
Step 4. Research
Read books that discuss the type of farming you want to participate in. Search the Internet for articles and online forums that discuss agriculture. Online forums are great places to discuss agriculture with farmers and agriculture experts. The Center of Rural Affairs also offers online PDF documents containing tips containing tips for new farmers. You can find the PDF here.
During your research, find out what are the skills required to achieve success in the type of agriculture that interests you. How is the market for your product? Is your type of agriculture compatible with the area in which you live?
Step 5. Attend informational classes
There are many ways to learn about agriculture in one class. One of the most common ways is to attend college and study agriculture, agricultural economics, management, or environmental studies. Attending college is not necessary to become a farmer. Look online to find out if they are teaching agriculture classes in your area.
Today's farmers are business people and even entrepreneurs in their own right. They must be able to survive, understand agricultural economics and agricultural policy, and consider attending a school or university that teaches agribusiness. If you want to go beyond working in crops, you must educate yourself on all aspects of agriculture
Step 6. Consider the fact that you may need to move
Some regions of the country are more suitable for agriculture than others, and some areas are more suitable for a certain sector of agriculture. Find out which areas are best for the agriculture sector you are interested in and which farms are located there. You can also find out what farms are in a particular area before deciding to move there and determine if what you want to grow is good for that particular area.
Part 2 of 2: Get Direct Experience
Step 1. Become an apprentice by offering your services as a laborer or laborer
This is the most important step to take to become a farmer, as you will be working in exchange for an opportunity to learn, or gaining more necessary experience while working as a contract farmer. You will not have any experience; Therefore, you will start from the basics (as in most races). There are many ways to start working for a farm:
- Look for government-implemented programs that are dedicated to agriculture and cultivation. The Rural Affairs Center offers many different programs that new farmers can enroll in. These classes are great because they match new farmers with more experienced farmers or with retiring farmers. Program goals can range from receiving advice from farmers to engaging with retiring landowners to tend to their farm after they retire.
- Join a beginning farmer training program. You will find some of these programs with a simple internet search (just type in your search engine “grow programs [your location]”).
- Join a program like WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). Select your country and then explore all the options available in your area. Participating in WWOOF can be a great way to become familiar with organic farming and allows you to explore many different options, as you can travel to different farms during your time in WWOOF.
Step 2. Keep in mind that it is very likely that you will not make a lot of money
Pay for farm laborers or contract laborers is often extremely little, or not at all. Many jobs include lodging, but it is usually seasonal (that is, during the growing and harvest seasons, but not during the winter).
Step 3. Express your desire to learn
Watch people do their work and ask them to teach you; Usually, you will also have to ask them for what purpose they do it. You will find yourself in an arduous learning process during the first year that you work in farm operations and you will go through many learning processes; p. For example, how to change the oil in the tractor, repair the combine, prepare the cows for milking, manage the pastures and the cattle that graze on them, prepare the feed for the cattle and even how to differentiate the wheat from the barley.
Don't expect to become a farmer unless you know the art, science, and technical aspects of business and farm operations. The best way to learn about farming is through the experiences you earn. WikiHow books and articles can only give you information; experience in the daily practice of agriculture (or livestock) is something that you must obtain
Step 4. You must be flexible and willing to do new activities
You must be willing to do and learn to do everything that is necessary in a working farm. It will take a little time to learn these activities (and a fair amount of manual work). If there is something you are unwilling to do or that makes you feel uncomfortable, say so ahead of time and be aware that it could limit your options. However, if for example you do not feel comfortable euthanizing a sick and dying animal, you must understand that what you are doing is the best for the animal, so as not to hurt it further. This can include (but is not limited to):
- Cleaning barns and stables
- Climb stairs or climb to the top of grain bins
- Operate machinery such as loaders, tractors, or harvesters
- Kill pests like rats and rabbits
- Handling unruly animals that could hurt you in some way
- Comply with feeding and milking schedules
- Weeding or harvesting for 12 continuous hours or more, usually with little or no breaks
- Apply pesticides in the fields
- Sacrifice animals and cut them into pieces
- Euthanize cattle
- Repair or maintain machinery, treat sick cattle, etc.
Step 5. Stay in good physical condition
Most of the agricultural activity consists of bending, bending, lifting weights and pulling objects. Only farm managers who worked hard to get to that position can stop doing physical work, but sometimes even they must push their physical capacity to the limit for the job.
Don't avoid mechanical tasks. Do your best to familiarize yourself with farm machinery, learn how to use it safely, and how to maintain and repair it. Even the smallest farms often rely on a rototiller and small plot tractor
Step 6. Dress appropriately
This may sound superficial, but if you were to attend an interview at a law firm dressed in jeans and boots, it would be the same as going to a farm wearing a suit and fancy shoes. If you are going to start farming, you will likely be doing a lot of physical work. Wear a polo shirt, jeans, and work boots, particularly those that are approved by safety standards and have steel toes.
- Invest in a good pair of work gloves, as you will have to handle materials and tools that could splinters and cause finger injuries or blisters in a short time. They are also ideal if you don't want to get your hands very dirty.
- If you have long hair, pull it back into a braid or ponytail so it doesn't get stuck on something. A hat or cap is also ideal to keep your eyes and head covered from the sunlight.
Step 7. Have a good sense of humor
Laughter makes the day go by faster, especially when your muscles ache and you feel like your fingers are going to come off and the weather has ruined your plans again. A positive attitude is a benefit for any farm!
Step 8. Determine when you will be ready to establish your own farm
In most cases, it will take people about a year or two to run an agricultural operation before they are considered "good enough" to stop being simple farmers and become owners or operators of a farm. For information on how to start a farm, read the article "How to start a farm."
Advice
- Keep your mind open and learn everything you can. You will make mistakes, so if you get in trouble for making these mistakes, don't take it personally, but as a lesson learned.
- Be punctual and kind to your boss!
- Before you start farming, prepare a small garden or get a pet to help you understand the things you need to do better.
- Make sure you know how to use your common sense and instinct, and if you are unsure about something, ask for help.
Warnings
- Farming can be very dangerous, especially since you will be constantly working with animals and machinery. Most employers don't offer farmworker health insurance, so make sure you know the risks you may face, and be careful!
- Agriculture is not an activity for everyone. After the first few months as a farm worker or farmer, you may find that this is not your thing. For this reason, it is better to start working for someone, rather than starting your own farm and then regretting it.