Webinar: Agricultural Apprenticeships: Resources for Best Practices

SAEA Webinar January 17th 2018 @ 2pm (eastern time), 11am (pacific time)
Agricultural Apprenticeships: Resources for Best Practices

Agenda:

Apprenticeships on small, sustainability farms are an important strategy for beginning farmer training, and farmers often find it a fulfilling way to meet labor needs on the farm. They are also a space where apprentices and farmers alike are critically engaged in transforming the agrifood system as part of the alternative agrifood movement.

In this presentation, Megan Fehrman, of Rogue Farm Corps, will introduce the National Ag Apprenticeship Learning Network. This network works to support ag apprenticeship programs by sharing best practices, knowledge and resources, coordinating local and regional training-of-trainer efforts for farm educators and mentors, and fostering peer-to-peer dialogue with programs across the country. She will introduce their new toolkit of resources for ag apprentices and the farmers who host them.

Lorien E. MacAuley, PhD, of Virginia Tech, will present on her recent research to uncover political implications of ag apprenticeship. In her recent critical ethnographic case study, she worked alongside 19 apprentices on six farms, conducted interviews (n=25) of farmers and ag apprentices, and analyzed documents (n=407) circulated by the local mediating organization who organizes networking and educational opportunities for ag apprentices. A discussion of the findings will explore issues of power, privilege, and equity in ag apprenticeship, as mediated by the values system of the alternative agrifood movement. The study highlights a few directions to explore in ag apprenticeships to maximize the potential for diversity, social justice, and viability of small farm systems.