Who wants the family farm? That is what I wanted to know as exploring an idea for a short story about a farmer with four sons and none of them have any interest in the family heritage farm that has been passed down for four generations. So I stumbled across the works of Joel Salatin and his multigenerational Polyfarm. The man is passionate about farming and teaching farm skills.

Polyfarm -- "We're showcasing and innovating agricultural prototypes that are environmentally, economically, and emotionally enhancing and facilitating their duplication throughout the world. (p133)

The subtitle to this book is Interning, Mentoring, Partnering, Germinating -- so it is a how to book of practical guidelines, helpful hints, and personal stories on how to create a system of learning (both book (formal education) and practical (embedded knowledge)) that would create a new generation of farmers.

The food you're enjoying must be produced somewhere, somehow, by someone. (p5)

Established farmers want and deserve a vetted young person, someone with a track record. This nexus of need an aspiration is what interning is all about. (p13)

It is interesting that those coming into the farmer internships from college agricultural programs have to unlearn what they learned and relearn the farm way of doing things....very interesting when you consider the time and money invested into a college program. -- Mastery takes many, many hours. And when it comes to farming, that mastery can't be taught in a classroom. (p31)

But farmers don't get much respect and it is hard to recruit people into a program that is generally looked upon as the bottom of the barrel. And interestingly enough most of the new farming interests are coming from urban young people who are more aware of the regenerative earth stewardship. And this farmer is no country bumpkin -- He has formal college education and spent many years in journalism which is why is vocabulary and language seems a little lofty at times....for example: he likes the word hubris...which I had to look up....means excessive pride or self confidence.

Although Internship programs seem to be the answer for training new farmers -- Salatin makes sure that both sides of the issue are understood -- interns are very time consuming and costly to the farm that is providing the program. Therefore, the book should be read and study by anyone thinking about starting such a program. So although the book provides lots of general information about farms and humor of farm life -- this one is basically a manual for why and how to start farming internship programs.

"Intern programs don't make struggling farms successful. They accentuate weaknesses. They can hurt farms if the personal relationships are week....Remember, education is expensive. If you can't afford to lose $3000 per season per intern, don't start. (p84)

"By adopting a servant's mindset, then, mentors can keep their sanity through the process. Lost tools, broken fates, cows out, thirsty chickens -- the list of frustrations brought on by interns is endless. But a servant leader goes on, refuses to let this dampen his purpose, and continues to make a path that others can follow. (p67)

If you want a more generic read about the importance and joys of farming -- try Salatin's FOLKS THIS AIN'T NORMAL. ( )