Baby Steps

My friend Eric is wanting to get into farming and is considering various possibilities. He has a full time city-based job. It reminds me of where I was two years ago, when I resigned from my job in New York, and I was back in Toronto. To get into farming represents a massive swtich for most people. It's much more than making a career change. How would a person start on this quest? What baby steps could a person take?

Here are some ideas on how to start into farming. Some seem trivial, but they are a way to reintroduce us city dwellers back to nature. Along the way you'll discover if you really ant to farm

1. Buy a package of seeds and plant them (better yet, invite someone to plant the seeds with you).
2. Plant a window box in your home or at the office.
3. Go to a farmer' market and get to know the farmers. Ask if you can visit their farm.
4. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), where you get a basket of produce every week for the season. Many CSA farms will invite customers to visit their farm, and some will welcome volunteers.
5. Start a compost pile, either with red wriggler worms or a hot compost. You'll be amazed to watch vegetables break down. It's a great science experiment for kids.
6. Start a garden on your balcony or in your backyard.
7. Join a community garden or volunteer with one.
8. Watch for other city-based opportunities, such as volunteering to install a roof top garden.

If you feel bold, you could intern on a farm or become a woofer. Woofers are people who volunteer on farms for short periods of time. It's like being an intern but it's a lesser level of commitment for both the volunteer and the farmer. Go to "World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms" - http://www.wwoof.org/.

The quantum leap would be to buy a farm. I know city-based people who bought a farm without any experience. Many wish they'd first interned and learned more about farming before buying their own farm.

Start with small steps. It will open up your mind and lead you to like-minded people and exciting idea.