This handbook for prospective trainees contains extensive information on training opportunities worldwide, developing a curriculum, farm safety, and more. A one-of-a-kind, tremendously practical resource, this handbook provides valuable information for both trainees and mentors that cannot be found anywhere else.

Topics covered include:

• surveying your training options
• developing your own curriculum
• arranging an internship or apprenticeship
• making the most of your training

The authors also include many useful appendices, such as:

• biodynamic training opportunities in North America and beyond
• checklists of skills
• “In Defense of ‘Old-Fashioned’ Training,” by Hartmut von Jeetze
• sample agreements and related information
• managing conflict
• keeping a farm journal
• farm safety and health tips
• references and resources

Excerpts:
“In addition to knowledge and skills, however, a successful farmer or gardener also needs to develop something else, namely, an inner quality that is not usually listed in formal training curricula. It is not listed because it is difficult to describe and because, in a way, it pervades all other parts of the curriculum. It is the strength of character that is acquired through persistence and perseverance, through the overcoming of the adversities and conflicts that are part of every human life. Whenever you meet such challenges, therefore, remember that even though you did not consciously seek them out, they too form an important part of any curriculum.”

“As in human life in general, learning to work together harmoniously often proves to be one of the most challenging aspects of any training, and especially of any internship or apprenticeship. To get the most out of these opportunities, however, you need to get along well with your mentor(s), with your colleagues and also with yourself. Each of these relationships has a different character, and it is important to think seriously about each of them before and during your training.”

Author: Malcolm and Susan Gardner
Paperback: spiralbound, 95 pages
Illustrations: Color drawings
Publisher: Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association (2007)
Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 inches