Family farms are disappearing across the nation, as aging farmers (over 2/3 of the nation’s farmers are over 60 years old) are unable to make a living farming the land the way their ancestors did. But one area of farming is growing – the organic farm. In fact, it is the fasting growing segment of agriculture. But how does one learn to be an organic farmer?

Enter Biodynamic Farmland Conservation Trust’s Apprenticeship Program which takes place on Brookfield Farm in Amherst, MA. Brookfield Farm not only uses sustainable farming methods to provide food to its shareholders who join the farm each year, but it teaches its interns about the importance of biodynamic farming. Biodynamic farming pays special attention to the health of the soil as a living organism. It applies unique organic and sustainable approaches to agriculture with the scientific use of crop rotation, composting, integrated soil, pest and crop management, and animal husbandry. Brookfield’s interns learn not only how to grow the food and run a farm responsibly, but the relationship between farm, food and community. Applications for the program, however, outpace space by a scale of 12:1. Because the farm uses its membership fees to finance the Apprenticeship Program, only 2-4 interns can participate at a time. A donation to Brookfield can help expand its Apprenticeship Program to meet demand. Brookfield is committed to keeping farming a vital and responsible industry. If you believe that this is important, please help.