The Hudson Valley Apprenticeship is a multi-farm apprenticeship program supporting mentors and apprentices across New York’s Hudson Valley. A cross-region collaboration between diversified small and mid-scale farms, farmer training organizations, and educators has come together through the facilitation of Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in Cold Spring, NY, to meet the following program goals:
Goal 1: Ensure equitable apprenticeships across the Hudson Valley region that prepare diverse new and beginning farmers to successfully run their own climate-resilient farm operations. Objectives: 1A) Train new climate-resilient farmers, 1B) Diversify apprentice and mentor pools, and 1C) Fairly compensate apprentices and mentors.
Goal 2: Support regional climate-resilient farm viability with a well-trained apprentice workforce using a replicable system of farmer knowledge transfer. Objectives: 2A) Promote transparency and accountability for replicability, 2B) Support effective farmer knowledge transfer, and 2C) Strengthen the social fabric of farming communities.
The Apprenticeship’s anticipated major outcomes are:
55 apprentices complete the program “prepared to start farming.”
80% of apprentices report valuing diversity on farm teams.
5 new climate-resilient farm startups.
70 new farmers gain knowledge in: Climate-resilient production, Marketing, Finances, Land acquisition, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and/or Nonviolent Communications.
The Hudson Valley Apprenticeship supports NIFA BFRDP goals of yielding improvements in, and sustainability of, beginning farmers through mentoring and apprenticeships, and by supporting agricultural resilience to climate change while increasing equitable participation in USDA projects.