2019 ASHS Annual Conference

In 2012, a third of all U.S. farmers were over the age of 65. As the average age of the U.S. farmer continues to rise and these farmers transition into retirement, the industry must find new ways to recruit young farmers. One such method rising in popularity again, (particularly in the organic sector) is apprenticeships, where recruits are placed onto farms to learn agricultural skills from a mentor. While apprenticeships have been studied from a historical context, no study exists on agricultural apprenticeships, how they teach their participants, and whether this educational method leads to increased industry recruitment. This study analyzes survey responses of the apprentices of one agriculture training program in the Kansas City metropolitan area to identify the educational strengths and shortcomings of apprenticeships and develop best practices for apprentice education. Surveys were distributed to past Growing Growers apprentices, who answered questions about learning environments used in the program, as well as skills the program did not adequately develop. The results identified preferred learning environments for fourteen program learning objectives, with patterns emerging for skill-based, object-based, and concept-based learning objectives. Access to land and capital was consistently cited by respondents as the program’s largest educational shortcoming, the biggest barrier to starting an agribusiness and the topic that continues to bar those interested in food production from entering the industry. Business and financial management strategies must be taught in such a way that apprentices can contextualize their knowledge, and apprenticeships do not adequately provide this contextual environment. Therefore, granting access to cheap land where apprentices can practice business and financial management in an income-generating environment will prove more effective at educating apprentices than learning these concepts at another farm or through workshops. The use of/access to incubator farms is recommended for apprenticeship programs that desire industry recruitment.