YU-SHING NI
CALIFORNIA
Yu-Shing has just finished up her first season farming on an educational farm in California as an apprentice.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY DOING? (WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING, ETC)
I was an apprentice on an educational farm. The farm runs the apprenticeship and it just became a non-profit as my apprenticeship was coming to an end. So it technically ran from March/April until mid-November, but I actually came as a late season person because they needed some extra help. I was supposed apprentice on a farm in British Columbia, but with COVID happening, I had to come home. It was kind of a struggle to find farms to apprentice on in California because the season starts way earlier and they had already hired everyone. I reached out to this farm, and they called me in August to work for the last 3 months of the season.
It’s a vegetable farm as well as an orchard and they have a retreat center/agri-tourism.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FARMING?
I worked on a small student-run farm at school and stuff like that, but this was my first official season.
WHAT INITIALLY BROUGHT YOU TO THE FIELDS?
I studied agricultural and environmental sciences in my bachelor’s degree, which I just completed in June. I thought the next logical step was farming to learning practical skills in that. I finally had time to do that because I graduated and didn't have to go back to school. It made sense to try to find a farm gig.
WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO FARM FOR SOMEONE ELSE (NOW OR IN THE PAST?)
I felt like I had the classic knowledge and scientific basis of farming and it was centered on larger scale agriculture, that was what my program centered on, as well as nitty gritty details of soil ecology, which I love. I’m interested in food production and food security. How can I actually be involved in the production of food and working on food access in my community? I was looking for small farms to work for farms that resonated with me on their ecological management of the land. Organic farms, as well as farms run by young people. There is a big movement now. It felt like a great way to build a community around me of like minded people. That was kind of my motivation to find a small scale organic farm. I do want to keep exploring that realm, and I think it could be really interesting to work on a larger farm or a farm with animals. That is the next direction I’ll be taking.
WHAT ARE SOME ISSUES FOR FARMERS WORKING ON SOMEONE ELSE'S FARM - ISSUES THAT YOU'VE WITNESSED OR EXPERIENCED?
So I got really close to the other farm apprentices, it’s probably easier to relate their stories and what they’ve told me. Especially as an apprentice on a farm, one thing is that they felt they were being really under appreciated. I’dd been there for 3 months and I started seeing a little bit of it for myself, but I was still in my honeymoon phase, loving this physical work. So it’s a little different for me, but some of the other apprentices felt under-appreciated and felt like they were being treated as laborers and not as part of the team.
There were farm apprentices and then the staff of the whole place. They kept that really separate, and it felt exclusive, which was a little bit weird because it was a community and we lived all together. There were 8 all together. The staff and the apprentices had two separate meetings, and we didn't know much about the larger scale. It’s not just a farm, it’s also an orchard and also a retreat space, so we were not being able to be part of that planning process. And it didn’t feel like the community that we were expecting or experiencing at dinner time.
The rest of the apprentices were paid a stipend ($300/bi monthly). I had just come on and they didn’t pay me. In the beginning, I thought it was fine, and also I had some family issues and I really wanted to leave and live somewhere else, so it was a bit of a desperation move for myself. Once I got there and started talking to apprentices and working really hard and putting in my hours, it started to feel a little odd that I wasn’t getting paid.
I do put my all into it, it’s hard for me to slack off, so it was weird that I was working just as hard or even more hard than apprentices and not getting paid. They were saying it was the end of the season and I’d been there for such a short of time…I should have looked into it a lot more. That will be a very clear part of any interview going forward.
I think it really demonstrates how undervalued farming is in our society even from the farm manager. He’s getting a salary. I don’t agree with the WWOFFing thing, it’s great if you want to just do that with traveling, but if you’re trying to get farm experience, getting paid is such an important part.
I was given housing. It was also in retrospect. I’m a very simple person so I can live outdoors, and they had given me a tent. I thought I was only going to be living there for 2 months, but ended up staying for 3. I was given food and housing and a glamping-type tent that was set up at the end of the field. They were trying to make it nicer for me.
The other apprentices had cabins, rudimentary cabins. They were like tent cabins and they put roofs on them this year. That is kind of how the whole place is, most of the housing is small/cabin like.
It was really cold and started raining and then I stayed in a loft in the community kitchen area. I would sleep in there quite a bit. The food was taken care of.
I did have opportunities to make money, like going to the farmer's; markets on Saturdays to make some gas money. I worked as much as I could.
CAN YOU TELL ME THE QUALITIES OF A DREAM FARM NOT LEADING TO OWNERSHIP - THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO WORK ON?
This whole experience has brought me to understand that I would really like to work on a farm owned by a person of color or from a marginalized community, also as a symbol maybe because there are so few owned by BIPOC farmers. If I was able to find one and work for them, it would be showing that there is progression and progress. It’s definitely what I’ve been looking for the next season, the main aspect of what I’m looking for.
As well as somebody who is willing to train young farmers who are maybe not as well-versed in farming. I don’t necessarily mean an apprenticeship, but someone who will take on the risk with someone not as familiar; someone who considers sustainability from multiple dimensions, how are my actions contributing to the community, bringing in social welfare, and immigrant workers, etc. Someone who is also willing to be more innovative and creative and not necessarily doing everything by the book. If there is farmer with different idea on how to do something, how to weed, etc., being willing to be open to that, allowing that person to bring in the outside knowledge into the farm.
I was asked this question a few time. I would like to start my own farm eventually at some point. I wouldn't necessarily want it to be a market farm. I don't really know what my career path is right now. Am I going to go to grad school? It’s up in the air. Right now I’m very satisfied and want to continue farming as long as I can. I am going with the flow with how my life is. I think maybe in the future, I would like to raise a family on a farm. If I ever have kids, I would have my kids grow up on the own farm and be self sustaining, possibly homesteading.
My friend and I have been talking about getting some land and starting a crew of BIPOC farmers.
“I’m interested in food production and food security. How can I actually be involved in the production of food and working on food access in my community?”
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
I think for me the main part is obviously making sure everyone has access to nutritious food, that is the main part. That is always there in my mind. On a more like immediate level would be honestly having that physical work and being outside and working and having time to myself. I found that to be really meditative and calming. Being physically capable and growing from seed to actual CSA box - that has always been pretty eye opening to me from a biological standpoint, but also, wow, we’ve put in so much care and are getting something out of it. That is way more valuable than money.
Also interacting with customers and people really grateful to have CSA boxes, and working at farmers’ markets and everyone says how beautiful it is. Putting a lot of work in it and showing it off.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE DIFFERENCE (IF ANY) BETWEEN A FARMER AND A "FARM WORKER"/"FARM EMPLOYEE" BESIDES PROPRIETORSHIP?
From my reading and background, I would say farm worker is somebody who is an imported worker, usually paid by the number of things they harvest or work on and usually they are there for a really short time at the end of the season or peak of harvest. They don’t have the same kind of protections that an employee would have, they are nationally exempt from a lot of different labor standards. They don’t get minimum wage, they don’t get mandatory rest breaks. They are invisible, which is really sad to me. They are the ones who are feeding us. 60% are food insecure, which is staggering. That is how we/I see farm workers.
Farmers and farm owners are definitely not getting paid a living wage either, but have more say in how they are treated, higher standards, but I don’t know, I definitely could be wrong. I mean there is at least a labor standard that is by law that is there for them versus farm workers, but of course I could be completely wrong on that.
DO YOU CALL YOURSELF A FARMER? WHY OR WHY NOT.
I would say that I’m a beginning farmer. I need to work for a full season before I can say more.
I would probably say that “I work on a farm.” That’s what I’ve been saying to people.
WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE WORKING ON FARMS NOT THEIR OWN?
Definitely giving us breaks, it’s so important. I was made aware of this because I am someone who will push through and get it done. One of the other apprentices was very vocal about this, make sure you’re checking in on everyone’s mental health, that the team is still cohesive, and get everything done in a sustainable manner. Mental health breaks and checks are important and making it aware that those are acceptable, and it is okay to take a second to gather yourself.
We need to be getting support from the farm itself and from society too, that you don’t have to break your back. That would be a really important part.
Having more resources to find a network of farms that you know you want to work on. I don’t want to go back to the same farm. It would be great to have the connection and know that maybe "this is a similar farm, but maybe doing something a little different. Knowing about it and being able to apply, rather than to sit on ATRA for 12 hours. I was on ATRA and EcoFarm and at one point I got fed up and just googled “sustainable farms in Mendocino county.” I saw what popped up and straight up cold emailed 32 farms. It was in March, I get it, it was a busy starting season for people, but I didn't get a response from 80% of them. Most responses were, “We are fine, we don’t need your help.” This one, the farm manager, was super kind, one of the greatest people I’ve met. He was in his mid-30s, his first season there managing the farm, a lot more open to young people getting into farming, more so than established farmers from my experiences. He responded to me and said he would let me know if something opens up, but then in August when one of the apprentices was a little bit not able to work, he emailed me and told me that they had a short-term position. I interviewed with him over facetime. He was really kind and it seemed right. We were able to converse pretty well. I was ready to leave home for at least a little bit, and I could drive up so I did.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION/TAKE ON THE FARMER LUNCH? (DO YOU TAKE LUNCH, DO YOU SKIP LUNCH, DO YOU ENJOY TAKING LUNCH WITH YOUR CREW - FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING, IS THERE PRESSURE TO BE SOCIAL....)
That was my favorite part, definitely meal times, I love food especially when it’s stuff that we’ve just produced, it makes it so much better. Our whole team was really into food and we would have community dinners. One person would cook and throw down and make the best meal I’ve ever eaten.
Our lunches were leftovers from the day before and a huge salad and whatever apples we just harvested.
For me that was really enjoyable and it was also nice because it was mostly the farm crew that would eat together and then staff would be doing other things.
We would start at 8am in the morning and get a well deserved break at 11 or 12. It was good to nourish our bodies before we went back to work.