Teaching the Skills List: Summer Week #16 – 9/24/25

Sitting on my desk is a clipboard with a hand-written list of farm skills and the employees who have requested to learn them. Teaching through this skills list is one of my favorite things to do.

All employees, especially those new to our farm, have to spend time training up on harvesting each crop and doing this in the way that our farm system requires. There are soooo many ways to do things, so part of training folks at our farm is how we do it here, versus how they may have done it on another farm.

Once employees are trained up on the basics, I ask employees during their check-ins if there are things going on around the farm that they see others doing that they would like to learn how to do themselves. (Skid-teering is a big one folks love learning how to do. Driving that beast and figuring out how to use the forks that lift heavy loads is super fun!).

So on my desk sits the list – packline setup, business decision-making, operating the transplant tractor, how to move water irrigation reels, operating the skid steer, training up on the seeder in the greenhouse, driving box trucks, learning stick shift, and backside organization for the CSA and wholesale accounts are all on the list this season.

One by one, when small windows of time present themselves, I pull employees aside and get them trained up on something. I usually call them over on the radio, and when the boss singles them out, they instantly worry. This is not something I usually do. Immediately I tell them, “Don’t worry! Nothing’s wrong here. I want to teach you this skill you requested to learn.” That moment is my favorite. Where the confusion of why they are being singled out, gives way to the understanding that they are being offered something they want. That little shift of muscles in their face indicating the recognition of this is a moment I love.

Being able to teach someone something they really want to learn is a joy. It lights them up and in turn lights me up inside. This time of year is really fun for that. During these early fall times, the intensity of the fields is less as is the intensity of heat. Everything just feels easier. And there seem to be more windows of time that present themselves for imparting these next level skills.

Having a small business with seasonal work doesn’t create a whole lot of space to empower all the members of our 18 person crew. But I do what I can within the time we have in the season to empower people in ways they seek. To teach them what they want to know beyond the requirements of their everyday job. Whether sharing that knowledge is an ego boost for that person or whether it will translate into sharing skills that continue on the work of local farming – I’m happy to share them either way. Both are good, good things.

Sincerely,
Farmer Cassie