As a part of our Starting Farmers Sales space at Farm Support I constructed a quiz that tried to problem folks to consider ‘do you will have what it takes to be a farmer‘.
The train was meant to be enjoyable, and was primarily based solely by myself (admittedly restricted) observations of ‘profitable’ farmers I’ve identified. The questions couldn’t presumably be a very correct choose of an individual’s precise potential to reach farming. And the suggestions primarily based on particular person scores, equally, are supposed to be anecdotal, and to make folks assume.
Farming is fraught with uncertainty and threat, and all contributors who took the quiz at Farm Support agreed not maintain beginningfarmers.org accountable for any selections made primarily based on the outcomes. Anybody who takes the quiz right here is predicted to do the identical.
There have been a few training farmers who did poorly, simply as there have been absolutely non-farmers that don’t ‘have what it takes’ who did properly. Nonetheless, most contributors appeared to agree that their scores had been most likely fairly good indicators of the place they stood. The evaluations are directed in the direction of people who find themselves not but farming, or no less than not doing in order a profession, however many present farmers discovered the quiz enjoyable and attention-grabbing as properly.
Right here is a fillable kind you need to use to report and tally your solutions due to ADK Farmer Dan!
Reply every query on a scale of 1-5 the place:
1 = No, undoubtedly not, this doesn’t describe me in any respect
2 = This isn’t actually, or no less than not often true about me
3 = I’m okay with this, however not completely, not all the time, and/or not with all the pieces.
4 = Sure, that is principally true of me generally
5 = Completely, this describes me completely
1) I want to work exterior it doesn’t matter what the climate is like.
Answer_____
2) I’m not fearful of bugs, fungus, slime, or different issues that lots of people assume are gross.
Answer_____
3) I’m good at figuring out what must be achieved and prioritizing duties so as of significance.
Answer_____
4) I like monetary planning, and am good at taking notes, crunching numbers and evaluating expenditures.
Answer_____
5) I’m observer, and customarily see particulars that plenty of different folks miss.
Answer_____
6) I like tinkering, constructing issues, and am mechanically inclined.
Answer_____
7) I’m financially savvy, thrifty, and have a tendency make due with what I’ve fairly than shopping for new issues.
Answer_____
8) Once I do purchase issues, I seldom remorse the purchases I’ve made, and have a tendency to make use of the issues I purchase.
Answer_____
9) I’m not simply annoyed, and don’t get too upset when stuff doesn’t go my approach.
Answer_____
10) Getting cash is much less vital to me than accomplishment, and I don’t thoughts not being ‘wealthy’ so long as I’m pleased with the work I do.
Answer_____
11) I don’t are likely to wallow in failure. As a substitute I merely contemplate it as a lesson and attempt to do it higher the subsequent time round.
Answer_____
12) I like onerous, bodily work, and don’t thoughts being drained on the finish of the day.
Answer_____
13) I’m not simply bored, stressed, or annoyed by mundane duties.
Answer_____
14) I’m good at giving route, and explaining to others how I count on issues to be achieved in a exact and tactful approach.
Answer_____
15) I’m higher at doing plenty of various things fairly properly than at doing just one or two issues extraordinarily properly.
Answer_____
16) I don’t thoughts being alone, and am pleased working on my own for lengthy intervals of time.
Answer_____
17) When one thing breaks I often attempt to repair it myself earlier than taking it to a store.
Answer_____
18) I are likely to ‘roll with the punches’ and may settle for when issues don’t go ‘based on plan’.
Answer_____
19) I wish to rise up early, get going with my day, and don’t are likely to cease till I really feel like I’ve achieved all of the issues I wanted to get achieved.
Answer_____
20) I’m comfy taking dangers, and accepting that not all the pieces is inside my management.
Answer_____
21) I’m continually on the lookout for new data, and making an attempt to grasp the way to do the issues I do extra successfully and effectively.
Answer_____
22) I don’t want folks to inform me I’m doing job to be glad with the issues I accomplish.
Answer_____
23) I’m an enormous image individual, and may see how plenty of totally different small issues are associated to at least one one other.
Answer_____
24) I’m long-term planner, however am comfy altering my imaginative and prescient when mandatory.
Answer_____
25) I like rising crops and/or caring for animals, and am typically good at protecting them alive and wholesome.
Answer_____
TOTAL SCORE _______
EVALUATING YOUR SCORE:
25-50:
Farming most likely isn’t best for you. However this implies it is best to admire the individuals who do it, and attempt to assist them by shopping for meals out of your native farmers at markets, roadside stands, or by means of group supported agriculture applications. The Farm and Market Directories Web page on beginningfarmers.org (beneath Info Pages on the facet bar to the left) can assist you find some close to you.
51-70:
Farming may not be the perfect profession selection for you, however possibly it is best to be taught extra about it by visiting some native farms and speaking to farmers at your native markets. You additionally would possibly actually take pleasure in rising a few of your individual meals in your yard, or higher but, your entrance yard. And Please assist your native farmers.
71-100:
Possibly you’re able to strive rising meals on a modest scale. You could possibly most likely deal with an enormous backyard, a couple of chickens, and possibly even a few goats or sheep for milk or meat to offer as a lot of your individual meals as potential. You would possibly even strive promoting slightly on the facet, to see when you prefer it. Beginningfarmers.org has plenty of sources to assist with that. So begin exploring the location to see what you have an interest in and what steps you would possibly take to get going.
100-115:
You appear to have what it takes, so possibly it is best to take into consideration exploring farming as a profession possibility. If you’re all for that, begin sluggish by taking starting farmer courses, signing up for an internship, or beginning to produce crops or livestock by yourself land or land owned by a relative or neighbor. It’s best to undoubtedly take a look at the sources accessible at beginningfarmers.org to search out out extra about what you’ll must get began.
116-125:
You might be an distinctive candidate, and also you undoubtedly have what it takes to farm. In case you select to think about farming as a profession, it is best to start exploring the steps you will have to get going utilizing the useful resource hyperlinks on beginningfarmers.org, by speaking along with your native extension agent, by means of a coaching applications, an internship, or a farm job. Your selections about the place and the way to begin of will rely in your present information and useful resource stage. Watch out to maneuver slowly and intentionally to be able to reduce your threat. Acknowledge that it received’t be simple, and that success isn’t assured. However in case you are all for going for it, it’s probably that you will see that farming rewarding and properly suited to you.
