Conversations

I am a lifelong organic farmer who comes from a family tradition of land stewardship. I have been farming and teaching regenerative farming on the Island of Hawaii for the last forty years. Thirty years ago, I established Malamaki Farm School for the specific purpose of sponsoring/mentoring people who choose to save our planet by means of right livelihood; specifically regenerative farming and associated trades. The post you are reading is a plea for suggestions as to how we can connect with folks who have the appropriate motivation and experience to benefit from what we offer. You might think it preposterous but our biggest challenge is finding qualified beneficiaries for the program.

Apprentices pay no tuition and their room & board is provided. The program also connects apprentices with well-paying work so they have income during their apprenticeship.

Hawaii is rife with agrotourism, permaculture

I am a lifelong organic farmer who comes from a family tradition of land stewardship. I have been farming and teaching regenerative farming on the Island of Hawaii for the last forty years. Thirty years ago, I established Malamaki Farm School for the specific purpose of sponsoring/mentoring people who choose to save our planet by means of right livelihood; specifically regenerative farming and associated trades. The post you are reading is a plea for suggestions as to how we can connect with folks who have the appropriate motivation and experience to benefit from what we offer. You might think it preposterous but our biggest challenge is finding qualified beneficiaries for the program.

Apprentices pay no tuition and their room & board is provided. The program also connects apprentices with well-paying work so they have income during their apprenticeship.

Hawaii is rife with agrotourism, permaculture internships and every other sort of groovy "farm experience". What we lack is any viable means for serious young farmers to get started. Everyone wants to come to Hawaii to pursue their utopian organic fantasies; however, in the forty years that I have fostered apprentices, I have had few opportunities to teach anyone who could endure the daily rigors of the profession for more than a few months. A lifetime commitment is something beyond the imagination of most folks. We are not teaching people and sending them on their way. When someone completes our apprenticeship program, they are given a stake in the farming enterprise.

Perhaps you know of networks/websites/organizations where we can connect with people who have spent enough years engaged in daily farm toil to know that they cannot imagine doing anything else with their lives. In my experience, these are the only people worth teaching.

Please do not share details of this opportunity directly with anyone you think might be interested. Over the years, we have been inundated with people who heard about it and came thinking they were going to "get" something. There is no limit to the deceit in which humans will engage when they believe they can acquire wealth without working. When such people infect the school, everyone suffers. We have an extremely rigorous application process which all applicants must pass. Please do not share any details except our email address. We will take it from there.

We are not limited to sponsoring folks whose focus is regenerative farming. We welcome anyone who is committed to doing whatever is necessary to save our only planet. That could entail anything from regenerative energy to sustainable building, farm mechanics, whatever.

We also welcome skilled people in any relevant trade who would like to teach. Be aware, 90% of our instruction is experiential, in the field. You will not be giving lectures in an air-conditioned classroom. You will be teaching/leading by example. Also, we are non-hierarchical. Everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student. You would have no authority beyond what you establish by demonstration of your competence.

Eddie Clark

Malamaki Farm School / Stewardship Services

Cell: 808-938-4844

eddie@stewardshipincorporated.org

P.O. Box 1929

Kea'au, HI 96749

Cal Ag Roots is looking for people from rural California who want to partner with them in 2019 to produce a podcast that tells a story about their community--and an important moment in the history of farming in California.

Selected story co-producers will be paid a $2000 stipend for working with the Cal Ag Roots Team from June-December, 2019, to produce a twenty-minute podcast that will be released in the fall of 2019. Story co-producers will identify a potential story and work with Cal Ag Roots to conduct interviews, write podcast scripts, record narration and edit audio for the piece. No podcast or audio production experience necessary! Time spent on the story will vary, but we anticipate each podcast will require a time commitment of approximately 4-6 hours/week, over roughly 6 months.

To apply to be a story co-producer, please send an email to Project Director Ildi Carlisle-Cummins at

Cal Ag Roots is looking for people from rural California who want to partner with them in 2019 to produce a podcast that tells a story about their community--and an important moment in the history of farming in California.

Selected story co-producers will be paid a $2000 stipend for working with the Cal Ag Roots Team from June-December, 2019, to produce a twenty-minute podcast that will be released in the fall of 2019. Story co-producers will identify a potential story and work with Cal Ag Roots to conduct interviews, write podcast scripts, record narration and edit audio for the piece. No podcast or audio production experience necessary! Time spent on the story will vary, but we anticipate each podcast will require a time commitment of approximately 4-6 hours/week, over roughly 6 months.

To apply to be a story co-producer, please send an email to Project Director Ildi Carlisle-Cummins at icarlisle-cummins@cirsinc.org that includes: 1) a brief introduction of yourself, 2) your interest in this project, 3) a story idea (or ideas) about a key moment in California farming history that is related to your community.

Please feel free circulate widely and have interested folks reach out to Ildi by email or phone (831-345-2109), with any questions.

I farm by myself as I have never been able to make money from other people’s work. I just had a 49% sales increase for 2018, all to rock solid business customers that pay within 14 days. This would seem like the time to hire help, however the realities of employee costs due to wages, taxes, insurance and legal compliance are unaffordable. I read ads for farm help paying $12/hr. and have to wonder what that buys. Given the new Food Safety Modernization Act, I can’t imagine a $12 person being consistently clean enough to touch food. Could they read and follow a printed work order and note any changes and enter those changes into the computer? Do they love their work and want only the best and most beautiful produce for your customers?

I would like to find a younger partner to pass my business on to and was approached by a recent Chico State grad looking for a career change to farming. It is almost

I farm by myself as I have never been able to make money from other people’s work. I just had a 49% sales increase for 2018, all to rock solid business customers that pay within 14 days. This would seem like the time to hire help, however the realities of employee costs due to wages, taxes, insurance and legal compliance are unaffordable. I read ads for farm help paying $12/hr. and have to wonder what that buys. Given the new Food Safety Modernization Act, I can’t imagine a $12 person being consistently clean enough to touch food. Could they read and follow a printed work order and note any changes and enter those changes into the computer? Do they love their work and want only the best and most beautiful produce for your customers?

I would like to find a younger partner to pass my business on to and was approached by a recent Chico State grad looking for a career change to farming. It is almost impossible for young people to break into farming. and then they need mentoring from highly experienced farmers who have the wisdom that colleges can’t teach. We are going to do a Share Cropping relationship to get around employment issues. I tried this once before and lost money but have revised the concept and want to share it with other farmers. The Share Cropper is an independent contractor operating as a subsidiary of the Farmer’s operation. They use the Farmer’s land, assets and resources as if their own, to produce crops that are then added to the Farmer’s existing invoices to customers. The Farmer continues to produce their existing products so this relationship increases total farm sales. The Share Cropper does all of the work from land preparation to packing and earns 40% of invoice with 50% to cover their share of farming operating expenses and 10% for workers compensation insurance going to the Farmer. The Share Cropper assumes all of the risks of crop failure and investment of time and effort, just like the Farmer does and gets paid when the customer’s check arrives. They file Schedules F and SE to report taxable income and self employment tax. The Farmer works with to Share Cropper to determine crops, the modify and expand any and all Good Agricultural Practices, Food Safety Procedures and Organic System Plans to include and document the Share Cropper’s activity.

This relationship require total integrity and transparency from both parties with a common understanding and agreement on the subjects of motivation and work ethic, product quality and integrity, customer service, financial honesty and how the business affects the rest of humanity and the world. This is a partner development program so the Farmer’s mentoring and teaching desire must be genuine as must be the Share Cropper’s commitment to farming. If things don’t work out, the Share Cropper can walk away and the Farmer buy out any remaining salable crops.

Howdy Farmers,

I am looking for specific tractor models, old or new (manufacturer, model, and year) that veggie growers have really liked, so that I can search them used on TractorHouse. Our situation is this...

My partner and I are tooling up to break ground on a 6-8 acre, diverse vegetable CSA in Sebastopol. We are researching tractors, and deep into the classic "one tractor conundrum". With the ability to only afford one tractor, we would like to have a versatile one. We'd like it to be able to do primary tillage, as well as has have properly spaced and thin enough tires to get it into our shaped beds to help renovate beds for second-plantings (to undercut, disc, rototill, or spade), to weed the furrows and to possibly flame-weed (if we can find a 60" tractor mounted flame weeder). We will cultivate in-row manually the first years.

Our requirements are: ~50 horsepower, 4WD, 60" center-to-center tread

Howdy Farmers,

I am looking for specific tractor models, old or new (manufacturer, model, and year) that veggie growers have really liked, so that I can search them used on TractorHouse. Our situation is this...

My partner and I are tooling up to break ground on a 6-8 acre, diverse vegetable CSA in Sebastopol. We are researching tractors, and deep into the classic "one tractor conundrum". With the ability to only afford one tractor, we would like to have a versatile one. We'd like it to be able to do primary tillage, as well as has have properly spaced and thin enough tires to get it into our shaped beds to help renovate beds for second-plantings (to undercut, disc, rototill, or spade), to weed the furrows and to possibly flame-weed (if we can find a 60" tractor mounted flame weeder). We will cultivate in-row manually the first years.

Our requirements are: ~50 horsepower, 4WD, 60" center-to-center tread spacing with thin <13" rear tires, a front end loader, and gearing or a transmission that can go slow enough to run a spader. We could pay ~$30k for the right machine.

This tractor does exist new. It is the Kubota M7060 outfitted with a creeper gear and thin 12.6" rear tires. Shone Farm in Santa Rosa and New Family Farm in Sebastopol have this tractor. But at $50k, this is outside of our budget, and is too much tractor for our site and scale.

I have looked at cheaper new Kubotas (L and MX series) and John Deeres (5E series), but while some of them meet many of the requirements, one key element is missed. For example, the John Deere 5055E is the right horsepower and size, 4wd, can have a loader, but it's lowest gear is a touch fast at .9mph, and right now our dealer is essentially saying "not possible" for thin rear tires.

I'm seeking advice, and if farmers could share specefic model numbers and years, of any "Goldilocks" tractors they have used and loved @60" spacing, with low gearing.

Thank you!

David

I turned 65 this April and I farm by my self, no employees or family, because I love growing edible plants and could pursue my passion. I am having my best sales year ever and want to share operating and sales information in an attempt to show the income potential from growing Certified Organic produce on less than 5 acres such that young people can understand the real career opportunities in agriculture in Sonoma County. I am saddened, frustrated, and disgusted by seeing in the Press Democrat site that the future of Agriculture in Sonoma county is producing Drugs and Alcohol. These scourges of humanity ruin lives and kill innocent victims. This plus tobacco, high fructose corn syrup, and animal fat cause the vast majority of the American people's chronic illness and the wealth of the pharmacuetical industry. Any farmer who purposely produces a product that kills people is an accessory to murder. This

I turned 65 this April and I farm by my self, no employees or family, because I love growing edible plants and could pursue my passion. I am having my best sales year ever and want to share operating and sales information in an attempt to show the income potential from growing Certified Organic produce on less than 5 acres such that young people can understand the real career opportunities in agriculture in Sonoma County. I am saddened, frustrated, and disgusted by seeing in the Press Democrat site that the future of Agriculture in Sonoma county is producing Drugs and Alcohol. These scourges of humanity ruin lives and kill innocent victims. This plus tobacco, high fructose corn syrup, and animal fat cause the vast majority of the American people's chronic illness and the wealth of the pharmacuetical industry. Any farmer who purposely produces a product that kills people is an accessory to murder. This can't possibly be an attractive career choice to young people.

As an alternative, I grow CCOF certified fresh herbs and lefty greens. The more of these products people eat, the healthier they become. I supply the Oliver's Market 4 store chain on a guaranteed sale such that I get 60% of retail price but buy back unsold stock. My farm rent is $1000 per month, $12,000 per year for 3 acres in the swampland southwest of Santa Rosa and a packing house that is almost food grade. I harvest and deliver every Tuesday and Friday every week of the year unless the winter flooding is extreme. It didn't flood this winter so I have been profitable every month this year, including January when my CCOF renewal and inspection added $750 in one time cost. I'm on track to invoice over $60,000 in 2018 so farm rent is less than $20% of sales. All other costs and expenses, including vehicle and telephone, are less than $1000 so Sales over $2000 per month are profit to pay my off farm housing rent and personal expenses. I work every day for long hours but no other job would pay me the $1600 plus per week I do farming. Having a partner would make things easier but it never happened. Taxable net farm income is on track to be about 55% of sales, over $30,000 Plus Oliver's prints a check 7 days after delivery, two checks every week so no stressing ever about cash flow.

Greg Nilsen

Wine Country Cuisine

Delmar had a heart attack
On the evening of 7/10 shortly after coming home from work Delmar suffered a serious heart attack. Carin did CPR until the Paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital. For a time the doctors had to stimulate his heart to keep it pumping. He spent several days in the ICU hooked up and sedated. He has the tubes out now and seems to be coming along well. He is due to return home soon to begin his convalesce with Carin as his caregiver.
Carin and Delmar need help to replace lost income and deal with what hospital and home care bills they can. As I'm sure you know multiple days in the hospital ICU can run up a very serious bill.
Please help ease the stress of this sudden setback, maintain the momentum of Blossom's Farm, and let Carin and Delmar know that you and the community around them care.

See the good work they do here: Blossom's Farm

https://www.gofundme.com/delmar-goes-home?member=438578

Hi all -

Marie's organic farm in Pescadero CA would like to offer a unique farming opportunity. We want to provide land, infrastructure, housing and labor FREE to interested individuals at our farm. We have two fields we plan on dedicating to this opportunity. One is a 3-4 acre level field next to a creek that is typically used with drip irrigated row crops. The other field is a dry farmed field next to a creek that is fenced to approximately 6 acres. The farm is off the grid, with internet, has multiple living areas, tractors miscellaneous equipment and a large barn. The farm is located at 4700 Pescadero Creek Road, Pescadero CA 94060.

For individuals or groups interested in coming by for a tour, and contemplating this opportunity please call or email me with any questions.

Bret Storm (530) 304-8118
stormbret@msn.com

attention, admins...the website isn’t secure. If you open it via latest Firefox, it will tell you exactly what the problem is...it seems to be related to password safety, but I am not sure.

I was driving between St Helena and Davis the other day and noticed acres and acres of low shade houses near your place. What goes on over there?