Farmers May Find an Apprentice To Help On Farm ---Part of Series

Farmers May Find an Apprentice To Help On Farm ---Part of Series

Patrick Cavanaugh
Patrick Cavanaugh

The Center for Land-Based Learning has an apprenticeship program for those who want to get closer to farming or farm managers in the tree nut and vineyard industry and other crops. It’s part of filling those voids when a farmer may think about retiring.

Elaine Swiedler is the apprenticeship program coordinator for the Center of Land- Based Learning, which is based in Winters, California. She said farmers can make contact with some of the talent that's coming out of the program.

“All the good qualified applicants go into a pool and farmers are able to review all of those because at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how much I think that they're a great candidate, they really need to get along with the farmer,” noted Swiedler. “It's the farmer who's paying their wages, covering them with their workers' comp, trusting them with their equipment. So, we do what we can, but to help with that, to make the burden of reviewing applications as easy as possible. But at the end of the day, it's the farmers who make the choices and we don't make the match.”

Swiedler said, farmers need to be in touch with the Center for Land-Based Learning in making contact with some of these applicants. “We find out more about the farmer, and then after that, they're able to review applications. And worst-case scenario, they don't find a match immediately and it takes a little bit longer.

Go to landbasedlearning.org/programs for more information.

Previous ReportAn Apprenticeship Program for Those Who Want To Work on a Farm---Part of Series
Next ReportKeeping More Water Available for Farming and Cities