This document discusses the need for formal apprenticeship programs in farming to address the declining number of farmers and help train the next generation. It provides details on existing informal farming apprenticeships and the benefits of formalizing them, including providing structured training and support for apprentices. The document outlines Pennsylvania's first formal farming apprenticeship program focused on soil health and sustainable grazing practices, and highlights its successes in training apprentices who go on to careers in farming.

1. New Careers
in Farming
The Case for Formal
Apprenticeships
Franklin Egan, Education Director
franklin@pasafarming.org

2. Pennsylvania’s farm population continues to decline
NYFC, 2019.

3. USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
$150M awarded, 2009-2017
● 119 projects serving 122,000
beginning or aspiring farmers.
● “Project leaders estimate that over
half of participants have started
farming”
NSAC, 2017.

4. USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
$150M awarded, 2009-2017
● 119 projects serving 122,000
beginning or aspiring farmers.
● “Project leaders estimate that over
half of participants have started
farming”
● 94 young farmers (<35) added to PA
between 2007-2012.
● 20% decline in beginning farmers
nationally, 2007-2012.
NSAC, 2017.

5. USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
$150M awarded, 2009-2017
NSAC, 2017.
BFRD Training and Education Methods

6. What are informal farming apprenticeships like?
2016 Survey of 68 farms
● Paid or volunteer work opportunity on an established
(vegetable) farm.
● Paid or tuition-based training on a educational farm.
● Typically short term, <1 yr.
● Typically independently developed and administered.
PASA, 2017

7. Why do farmers host informal apprenticeships?
2016 Survey of 68 farms
PASA, 2017

8. Why do farmers host informal apprenticeships?
2016 Survey of 68 farms
PASA, 2017
● 62% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their
apprenticeship program
● 87% agreed the apprenticeship helped boost revenues.
● 97% agreed the apprenticeship helped reduce
workloads.
● 71% wanted help recruiting applicants.
● Many reported wanting help developing curriculum or
navigating employment regulations.

9. What do apprentices get out of them?
“[Internships or Apprenticeships] on sustainable farms
….involved little teaching; instead, interns expected and were
provided opportunity to learn by performing farm tasks
appropriate to the season and farm where they interned. Benefits
of a farm internship included being trained in basic farm work,
with a greater focus on the rewards of contributing to a social
good and doing work that was personally meaningful.”
Wood, 2012.

10. The Formal Apprenticeship Model
1. Paid On-the-Job Training 2. Technical Instruction
Employer Apprentice3.
“Industry Sponsor”

11. Benefits of the Formal Apprenticeship Model
1. Apprentices want more structured education, social support.
“[Apprentices] go into the middle of nowhere and just works [really hard], and with
whatever tiny little bit of energy they have left over try, [they try] to salvage some sort of
a social life….And so people tend to not stick around on farms I think because of that
reason”
2. Farmers want help recruiting good applicants.
“[Recruitment] is always a struggle...I start to get desperate; I start putting stuff on
Facebook and craigslist and get really, really strange people showing up here, you
know.”

12. The Formal Apprenticeship Model
1. Paid On-the-Job Training 2. Technical Instruction
Employer Apprentice3.
“Industry Sponsor”

13. 1st Formal apprenticeship for farm management
in the U.S.
Program Highlights
● Established in 2010
● Focus on managed grazing
● Active in 12 states
● 175 master graziers
● 45 active
master grazier-apprentice pairs
● 30 journey dairy graziers

14. 1st Formal apprenticeship for farm management
in the U.S.
Program Highlights
● 4,000 hr., 2 year program
● 3,700 hr., on-the-job-training
● 300 hr. technical instruction
● $8/hr. minimum wage
● $2/hr. farmer training stipend
● Connected to peers and support
● Registered with U.S. D. of L.

15. DGA in Pennsylvania
Milestones
● Active since 2016.
● 15 master graziers
● 12 enrolled apprentices
● 7 active apprentices
● 1 journey dairy grazier
● Partner and event networks
Supported through BFRDP grant.

16. Program Highlights
● Focus on sustainability through diversification
● 3,000 hr., 2 year program
● 2,800 hr. on-the-job training
● 200 hr. technical instruction
● $8/hr. minimum wage
● $2/hr. farmer training stipend
● Connected to peers and support
● 1st farming apprenticeship registered with PA.
Dept. of Labor and Industry

17. Milestones
● Announced in Nov. 2018.
● 86 inquiries and applications.
● 19 master growers
● 5 active master-grower apprentice pairs
● Expanding partner and event networks

18. Is it working?
● DGA has a rolling attrition rate of ~50%; the average for all U.S.
apprenticeships is 46%.
● Of 30 journey dairy graziers:
○ 4 working in dairy industry
○ 8 farm transfers
○ 2 start up dairies
○ 11 in dairy farm management
○ 2 in other livestock farming
○ 3 left agriculture
● DGA reports strong farmer and apprentice satisfaction.

19. The Case for Conservation:
PASA’s Soil Health Benchmark Study
● Our vegetable farms typically
have excellent to optimal soil
health.
● Grazing dairies are “the gold
standard”

20. The Case for Conservation:
PASA’s Soil Health Benchmark Study
Thanks!
Franklin Egan
franklin@pasafarming.org