Learning skills by helping out

[JamieCatheryn]

We live in the city now. How can I go about making friends with folks with farms or homesteads and get to give them a hand with work in exchange for learning skills? I know jobs could use extra helping hands. For example: I want to learn to build a livestock fence, shear a sheep, plant a larger scale veggie garden, process chickens, and so on. I have my 2 young boys with me at all times and my strength is just moderate and skills non-existent so it would have to be a friends helping friends thing not a paid for work thing.

Another thing, I'm introverted and bad at social skills and networking. Maybe I could get some help from DH with that. I shop at a farmers' market each week so that is one place I could ask around. Those of you who'd take me up on it if you were in my area, how would I get in touch with someone like you? Or if you've gotten into this kind of arrangement on your way to farming and homesteading, how did you do it?

[onetrumpeter]

hey! I have no tips; I've wondered the exact same thing. We're probably a good 30-45 min away from farms from whom we've bought stuff before. There's one farmer I've considered asking but I've not gotten the nerve yet. Partly because I've got two toddlers and can't figure it out logistically (timing when I could consistently/reliably get out), and also partly because I feel like I'd be a drain. I could imagine a farmer wanting to do her own thing and not have to teach someone even if in the long run I might save her time by doing it instead. I'm a quick learner in some ways but am fairly clueless as to most things agricultural. So I'm trying to read a lot (just checked out Carla Emory(?)'s Encyclopedia of Country Living - FUN) but know hands on would be much more helpful for me.

Just wanted to say I'm with you - looking forward to any ideas! I'm also shy/introverted, so that makes it a bit harder, too.

[kimmom]

I think its a GREAT idea and the way things should be done Do you have a local site like craigslist etc or a food coop? I would try posting an add one of those places. If you lived closer I would welcome you here, we have some volunteers building our cob home with us so they can learn the needed skills to build themselves..

[kimmom]

Also..The way I have learned about goats is through a "goat mentor" she is where I bought my goats and is teaching me everything she knows... I love her!!! I heard about her as a reputable breeder word of mouth and asked her if she was open to teaching me and we hit it off! It pays to ask! I would always welcome people here who want to learn any skills we have though we have lots to learn still too!

[1jooj]

I second the craigslist idea. A lot of local farmers use it here. It's searchable and free, where other classifieds are less so, so farmers are on it. Place an ad in the farm/garden section offering your help in exchange for learning, and I am sure you'd get a few good hits. If I were approached in earnest by someone looking for learning in exchange for helping--and some of those tasks are just the things I'd need help with--I'd respond. My issue is that most people take a "would-like-to" approach, more casual than serious. If someone seemed to think about it more like a "relaxing hobby," I wouldn't call them. I get enough of that.

It's still haying season where I am, and help loading/unloading bales is really appreciated. It's also garden harvest time. Dh and I spend an hour daily just picking. If we got help with that just 2x a week, it would be great. And I'd send produce home with the help.

[Chicky2]

I was gonna say Craigslist, too. Def. worth a shot. I'd love for you to come here and help me, but dang, you are too far away! We always welcome help scooping poop, hauling it to the garden, applying it to said garden (it's cold manure), picking produce when we have it, scrubbing waterers, rinsing knives and buckets and packaging meat on butcher days, chopping wood/stacking wood, etc....Canning help is always welcome, too. There are almost always fences to repair, or shelters to improve, etc. The tasks are neverending on a farm, even a small one like ours.