Placer Ag Futures Project

Placer Ag Futures Project

Summary

We completed an on-farm internship program. We started with five participants and ended with two. It was a learning process for the interns and for us. Our biggest learning came with procuring workers’ comp insurance for farm-related activities. The interns had to keep track of their time by what activity they were doing. There is a different rate for insurance for every activity. The cheapest was working at the Farmer’s Market and the most expensive was forestry related activities.

The interns did four two-week rotations on different farms, along with one week on another farm. These farms included livestock, forestry, fruit and vegetables, cut flowers, orchards and vineyards. At each farm, the interns were evaluated on their work and given feedback. We have also provided books for a business-planning courses.

• Final report from one of the interns

Objectives/Performance Targets

• We have seen the use of interns increase in the county.
  We have seen one farm kept in production by being turned over to an intern.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Completed outreach activities to all of the high schools in the county. This allowed a farmer to talk to all the agricultural classes and some others about what it means to be a farmer.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

The internships were a learning experience for the farmers as well as the interns. From this experience, some of the farmers decided to take on additional interns. One of the farms that participated is now in the process of turning their farm over to two interns to run since there are no family members that want to keep the farm in production. This is bringing in another generation of farmers and keeping the land in agricultural production.

Collaborators: