Farmers love to farm.They like to watch and nurture plants.They like to live in the presence of animals.They like working outdoors.They enjoy the weather even when it makes them miserable.There is a man named "Wndell Berry."You want to become a farmer, but you have never grown a crop or raised livestock before?This article will help you on the path to realizing your dream of being a farmer.
Step 1: Decide if you want to be a farmer.
What motivates you to leave the urban area where more money is to be made without having to work so hard for it and get into the practice of raising crops and animals?Farming involves a lot of hard work and is not the kind of venture that you will get rich quick on.Farming is a way of life, and also a business that gives you less of a financial reward for all the hard work you have to do throughout the year.The emotional and spiritual reward you get can be accounted for more than the end of the year paycheck.Most of the industry is steeped in tradition.If you've never been a farmer in your life and still want to, you may run into people who are more skeptical of your future endeavor than you want.There are many people who want to help out as much as possible, so don't let this bring you down.A lot of farm people are willing to help the new farmers learn as much as possible.There is no such thing as a stupid question.If someone is more blunt and forward with some of their advice and/or criticisms of what you intend to do than you expected, don't be discouraged or offended.Those farmers that have been in the business for a long time will give you as much advice as you need.Don't argue on something that they have known to work for them for a long time, listen, and be open to possibilities.Talk to various farmers to get a better idea of what to expect when you start a farm.
Step 2: You can choose what farm enterprise you want to join.
Crops, seed or grain production (oilseeds, cereals, and pulse crops), citrus and apple orchards, berry farms, vineyards, vegetable production, hay and silage production are some of the main categories of agricultural production.The sector of agriculture which covers all crop and livestock production, but pertains to non-conventional means of producing such products is called organic, sustainable and even regenerative farming.Regardless of economical classification, most farms rely on more than one enterprise to maintain their farm.A dairy farm cannot be profitable if it doesn't have hay and grain to feed its cow herd.A crop-only farm will often have a rotation system that involves growing and harvesting at least two crops per season, rotating cereals, oilseed and/or pulse crops every year in order to balance out soil fertility and quality, and to meet future market projections.The larger the farm, the more specified it is.This is not always the case, as shown above.You shouldn't have to worry about this, as it's best to start with a couple businesses first.This is so that you don't spread yourself out too thin when you first start up, because it's so easy to spend a lot of money on a bunch of things and then realize that they were wrong.
Step 3: Some farmers will be visiting with you.
It is a good idea to find people who are similar to what you are doing.They should give you a tour of their operation.To find out about upcoming local agricultural events, run a web search and attend as many of them as you can.You can visit with many active producers at such events.You can ask questions and get a better understanding of their farming experiences.Farm folk like to talk about the weather and how it's impacting their operation.Give them a brief description of what you want to do.That will give them a sense of who you are and why you're interested in what they do.If they don't mind you asking about their own operation, you can ask if they have any advice for you.You could bring up the idea of going to their farm to see what they have to offer.Farmers markets are a great place to meet people.You can purchase their product at home, but you can also talk with them about their own farming operations.You don't know if they specialize in goat-cheese making or jam-making without asking them.You can come out to their farm to talk with them more and get a personal tour.
Step 4: As much as possible.
As many resources as possible, use books, the Internet, agricultural newspapers and magazines.If you want to get involved in farming, read books about it.A library of a post-secondary institution will give you more resources than one at a local elementary, secondary school, which is why the library is a great place to start.If you want to start your own collection of farming-related books that you can reference whenever you please, a bookstore is ideal.It's a good idea to look through on-line book sites.There are many articles on the Internet that cover the topics of the particular enterprise you want to start.The Center of Rural Affairs has online PDF documents that contain lots of information for beginning farmers and ranchers.There is a PDF link that gives some advice.There is a website for beginners called Beginning Farmers.There are a lot of links to look at if you search for "beginner farmer" on the internet.There are online discussion forums that contain various topics on agriculture, from cattle to goats to crops and machinery.A number of topics in farming and ranching can be discussed in online forums.In your research, find out everything you need to know about farming, from skills needed to accomplish various jobs, to knowing animal behavior, growth stages of crops, and how to operate machinery.Market potential for your product, environmental conditions and changes of your area, and even why.
Step 5: You can attend classes on your interest.
You can either attend college or university, or attend various information sessions held by various agricultural organizations.If you want to learn more than what you need for running a farm, you should attend a university or college.Depending on the institution, you may want to get into animal sciences, agri-business, agricultural management and production, crop sciences or pre-veterinary medicine.If you want to go into college or university, you can either get a degree or a certificate.If you can, incorporate classes on business, economics and financial management into your education so that you are not caught unprepared for the amount of financial and economic decisions you will ultimately need to make, then choose wisely.Learning to farm does not require formal education because there are many aspects that cannot be covered in the classroom.Even though the studies will help immensely in the long-run, you don't need to attend college or university in order to start farming.If necessary, attend an informational session in a different province or state in your country.They can give you the information you need.Session topics may include farm economics and finances, or how to grow and harvest a crop.They could be on the latest technologies of your sector of interest, or on improving management on your farm to be more sustainable.Some sessions are free, others may require an entrance fee.
Step 6: Is it possible to have to move?
If you are currently located in an urban area, you will not be able to achieve your dream of becoming a farmer.You need to consider the location where you can start farming.Some regions of the country are better at farming than others.Some areas are better for agriculture than others.You will need to find out which location is more suited to the kind of operation you are interested in starting.The environmental conditions were mentioned based on soil, climate, topography and vegetation.All of these determine what kind of farm you can have and what type of operation you should not even consider.An area with rocky soil is ideal for raising livestock and hay, but not crops.
Step 7: You can offer your services as a farm worker.
This is probably the most important step on your way to becoming a farmer because you are working and gaining necessary experience in the form of a learning opportunity in exchange for giving some extra help needed by the farmer.You will be entering at the bottom.The only way to get up is to work hard and do what is asked of you, and to also not be afraid to try new things.There are a number of ways to start working for a farm.New farmers can enroll in many different programs at the Center of Rural Affairs.Getting advice from farmers is one of the programs that can range.Farm Start was started in 2005 to educate new Canadian farmers with non-farming background.Beginning Farmer has job and internship postings for anyone interested in getting involved in farming and need the experience.There are job and internship opportunities all over the world.There is a beginning farmer training program.There are quite a few of these that can be found through a basic internet search.WWOOF allows you to get involved in organic agriculture and explore many different options because you can travel from farm to farm and then explore all of the options available.You can find a summer job as a research assistant for a college or university that holds research trials on one or more farms.You will be able to participate in research activities and learn some duties that are similar to what you would do on a farm.If you put your resume out to farms that both need the extra seasonal help and will be open to taking in someone with no or very little prior farming experience, you will get a learning opportunity over the busy season.Some of these opportunities can't be found in the local newspaper or on Kijiji, but by word of mouth.Many opportunities can be found if you know someone who can mentor an aspiring future farmer like yourself by giving them some work over the season.Minimum wage may not be higher than salary payment.Most farmers will not be able to pay an expected hourly wage that is well above the minimum, so the pay for farm laborers is nothing to be excited about.Housing is included in many positions, but only on a seasonal basis.
Step 8: You should expect to work for longer than 8 hours.
During harvest time, when the crop needs to come in as soon as possible before bad weather ruins any chance of getting it in, this is especially true.Hay harvesting, checking livestock, and finding one needs medical attention immediately are other times.
Step 9: You can express your desire to learn.
If you feel like you won't be able to learn it on your own, watch how people do their jobs and ask them to teach you.You will have to ask why a lot, so don't be afraid to do so!It will take you a while to get used to the farm's operations.You will learn how to change oil in the tractor, fix the combine, get the cows prepared for milk, and make feed for livestock, among many other things.Do not expect to know everything and how to do it because you've read about it in a book or on a website.When put into practice, the things you can read about are completely different.The more experience you have, the better equipped you will be to start a farm on your own.You cannot be a farmer if you don't know the art and science that goes into how various enterprises are managed on the farm you are working at.
Step 10: You can be open to new activities.
You must be willing to perform any and every task that needs to be done on a working farm if you want to learn more about it.A good deal of manual labor is required for many of these activities.If you don't want to do something, let your employer know and understand that you may not have a choice in the matter.If you're not comfortable with having to euthanized a sick and dying animal, you may be missing the point.Some tasks you may not like to do at first include mucking out barns and stalls of animal feces.There are ladders on top of grain bins.It is as hard as backing up a trailer to operate machinery like a skid steer, tractor or combine.A tractor is connected to a machine to cut, till or harvest a crop.Rats, mice, and rabbits are pests.If unruly animals decide they don't like being chased anymore, you should handle and catch them.Keeping up with feeding and milk schedules.It can take 12 straight hours or more to weed or harvest.Pesticides are being applied to fields.Slaughtering and butchering an animal is an activity.Also includes detusking and/or tail docking in pigs, clipping wings in poultry, and castrating livestock.Maintaining machinery and treating sick livestock are some of the things that can be done.
Step 11: Be well-equipped to be physically fit.
Only farm managers who have paid their dues can skip some physical labor, but even they often must push their bodies close to the limit.They need help to do something they can't do on their own.You need to realize the limitations of your body and ask for help when you need it.Don't shy away from mechanical work.Become familiar with farm machinery and how to use it safely.A rototiller and a small tractor are the most important equipment on the smallest farms.
Step 12: Don't dress the part.
If you walk into a law firm interview dressed in a pair of scrubby blue jeans and work boots, it's like walking onto a farm and wearing a suit and some classy shoes.It is highly recommended that you wear a T-shirt, jeans, and work boots that are safety-standard approved and have steel toes.If you don't have a good pair of work gloves, you will have to handle a lot of materials and tools in a short period of time.If you don't want to get your hands dirty, they're ideal.If you have long hair, tie it back in a braid or ponytail to keep it out of your eyes.You can keep your eyes and head shaded from the sun with a hat or cap.
Step 13: A good sense of humor.
Laughter makes the day go by faster, especially when your muscles are hurting, your fingers feel like they are going to fall off, and the weather is bad.Positive attitudes are an asset to any farm.
Step 14: When is the right time to begin your farm?
It will take at least a year or two of being a part of a farming operation before they can be considered good enough to run a farm.You can find more information in the article How to Start a Farm.