The 2023 Apprentices were another cohort of keen young people who jumped in and got a full-on experience in farm life. A few of them recapped their experiences by show casing more of their skills through photos, painting, graphic design, videos, and writing. Check out their pieces:
Kohlrabi Art by Nate Richards, 2023 Apprentice at Grey Arrow Farm
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Painting by Marie Durieu
“My time in the Young Agrarians was extraordinary, and genuinely one of the better experiences of my life. I learned so much more than I expected throughout the process, about agriculture and the people in it. Returning to university, I’ve even found myself relearning in lectures what I had the chance to experience hands-on throughout the summer. My mentors, Rod and Janet, are true leaders in their field and by the end of the summer, I had fallen in love with their commercial cow-calf operation. I was fortunate to learn from people much greater than I am. Knowing how rare it is to meet individuals who are as passionate and generous as they are knowledgeable and skilled, I am so grateful I had the opportunity to work with them.
The program itself was a huge help in getting me connected. Most agricultural businesses, in my experience, don’t market themselves to people of non-farming backgrounds very well, so I had struggled for a good long while to get my foot in the door. I will always be grateful to Young Agrarians for helping me finally get in. It’s such a useful interface to find farms with work opportunities that wouldn’t normally be advertised.
Also, even though it’s now a day late, I had created a painting of one of the red angus steers from the farm as my final project for the program and as a gift to my mentors. If it’s still useful to you or the program to have, I’ve attached a photo of it 🙂
Thank you so much for your part in this program. This summer was the first of a lifetime of summers in agriculture for me, and I’ll be forever thankful to YA for making it happen!”
-Marie Durieu, 2023 Apprentice at Triple Lyoness Farm
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“I posted this video in August at the halfway point of my apprenticeship. Putting together all the clips made me reflect on how much this new kind of work feels like home to me. I’ve loved working with livestock and learning about different farming practices, and I’ve found working with my hands and working outdoors both fulfilling and gratifying. It has not been easy; there have been times of exhaustion and overwhelm and the learning curve has been steep, but overall I am so glad to have been introduced to farm work through this program. It feels like I have been farming for much longer than five months! Throughout my apprenticeship I have been surrounded by so much abundance – in friendships, food, growth, and more. I feel grateful for the connections that I’ve made, and excited to continue gaining experience and learning more in the seasons to come.”
Katheryn Loewen – 2023 apprentices at The Dogs Run Farm
