Seed Farm Seeks Applicants for Apprenticeship Program

Farm workers with one to three years of experience who are ready to start their own farms are invited to apply for a two-year farming apprenticeship program offered through a farming business incubator in Upper Milford Township, according to The Morning Call.

Known as the , the 40-acre farmer training program was started by in 2009.

Seed Farm Executive Director Sara Runkel, 33, grew up in the suburbs outside of Washington, D.C. She attributes her interest in farming to the farm camps she attended as a youngster.

The Seed Farm apprenticeship program eliminates the top three barriers to farm entry — land, equipment and training, opening doors for a new generation of farmers.

According to Runkel, there is no typical Seed Farm apprentice – they are all different ages and come from different backgrounds and like Runkel, didn’t necessarily grow up on a farm.

First-year apprentices typically work about 20 hours a week in the Seed Farm’s 2-acre demonstration garden where they learning how to operate and manage a diversified vegetable farm, she said.

The application deadline is Dec. 15.