hoping to gain experience in agriculture, but unsure how to start? (Burlington: find a job, minimum wage)

[Nerda]

Hello again!

I've already posted in this forum about potentially relocating to an affordable yet rural area near Burlington with my boyfriend in the next year or so from Austin, TX. This forum has been very helpful to me, and I was hoping to pose another question on it.

The reason why we are hoping to stay within reasonable driving distance to Burlington is because my boyfriend currently works as an EMT, and we hope to secure a job in the city's trauma center for him before we actually left Austin. He may be joining the fire academy here January, and if so- might even attempt to work for the fire department there, too.

My trajectory, however, is geared towards agriculture. I have always loved working outdoors, and have a real passion for farming and self sustainability, but coming from the city (even if it is in Texas) the opportunities to work on a farm without having been raised on one are pretty slim. While living in upstate NY for a brief amount of time, I did get the opportunity to try out working in a vineyard and, while it isn't the same as what I would like to do as far as farming is concerned, loved being in the vines and knew that that sort of work was what I was meant to do. Its where my heart and mind are at all times.

That all being said, I was wondering if it would be incredibly difficult for someone as green as I am to find a job on a farm in the same areas we are hoping to live (somewhere rural,but close to Burlington). Is the farming community in Vermont as closed off as it is here in Texas? Is it easy to find work on one, especially since I'll work on any sort of farm (dairy, orchard, etc.)? Honestly, I hardly even know how or what to ask in this particular thread. Other than growing my own vegetables and herbs, and my small stint on a vineyard, I have zero experience with farm work.


Thanks again for any responses!

[Gemini1963]

My information is old (1992-1996) but I will chime in and then let others contradict or update me.

My experience, also coming from the city, was that I could stay busy all day if I wanted to, offering free help on peoples' farms - this is especially true if you find people who need help with haying. After you establish yourself as someone who is reliable and whose help is worth having, you could probably find paid work on a farm or two. However, what you might discover is that the pay is so incredibly low that you will choose to earn your money doing one type of work, while continuing to work for free on the farm(s), until you can afford to have your own. I myself found that I would far rather help unload a hay wagon for free than for, say, $6/hour. What was fulfilling when done to help out friends, became grueling when it had a super-low rate of return on it. Perhaps that's just me. Same with working with horses - I'd far rather help muck out stalls and do other horse chores for free for 3-4 hours per day, for and with friends, and earn money more efficiently elsewhere, than get paid way below minimum wage to work with the horses full time.

Another place you might look at for outdoor work, besides what you have mentioned, is seasonal work at nurseries.

Last thing: Although I talk about working "for free," I should stress that we received ALL SORTS of benefits, tangible and intangible, when we gave our time and labor to our friends who had farms.

[harry chickpea]

It could be as close as walking in the Intervale and asking questions, it could be as close as going to the UVM extension service and asking about becoming a "master gardener", or you could do what gemini1963 did. Be warned that real farm work is backbreaking and often dangerous work that can age you faster than most drug abuse.