Sean Schaeffer is one of our second year apprentices, and a self-described “Veg Guy.” Sean studied Technology of Plant Science at SUNY Cobleskill and needed an apprenticeship to complete his degree, so he started looking for a farm that was near his home in West Stockbridge that he felt was working in a more sustainable way for our planet and found us. He says he was amazed to have lived so close and never realized the farm was here, and we were so happy when he agreed to stay on for another season.
Last summer was Sean’s first farming experience, and the ability to be outside every day, work with a good group of people, and be involved in the interesting work of farming made him want to continue. This year, he’s continued building his skills, learning to handle different tractor implements and taking responsibility for important tasks, like tending the greenhouse tomatoes. He’s really appreciated the additional education provided through the CRAFT program where our apprentices visit farms around the northeast to learn about different kinds of operations. He says those visits have given him the opportunity to see how other farmers do things differently compared to our farm and think through what methods he might someday use in farming.
As Sean thinks about what he’ll do after this season, he says he wants to stay in vegetable farming, with his ultimate goal to own a piece of land that he can farm. In the meantime, he says he’s really glad he’s able to be a part of Hawthorne Valley Farm’s apprenticeship program and can’t imagine being anywhere else.
