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Host Training Plan

Two Gander Farm

Name Albert Flemming Email [email protected]
    Steward(s) Selected –   
Training Start Date 04/03/2017 Training End Date 11/17/2017
Steward Training Hours per Week 40  
Compensation (Stipend or Wage) Yes If Yes, how much/how often? [1156]
 
Non-Monetary Compensation and Estimated Value Farm Produce $150/wk.
Name of your Workers’ Compensation Carrier Brethren Mutual Insurance
Will your Workers’ Compensation policy cover the Steward? Yes
Number of Employees at training location 10
Number of Interns/Trainees/Apprentices at training location 2
Annual Revenue $0 to $3 Million
 

[Phase 1]

Phase Name Orientation to the farm
Start Date of Phase 04/03/2017 End Date of Phase 04/24/2017
Primary Supervisor during this phase Trey Flemming Supervisor Title Owner, Farm Production Manager
Email [email protected] Phone Number 6108122582
 
1. Describe the Trainee/Steward’s role for this phase

The trainee will be be introduced to the basic workings of the farm. Trainees are expected to learn our field layout and become acquainted with our production schedule. During this time, trainees will be introduced to our equipment, our record keeping system and our planting procedures.

2. Specific goals and objectives for this phase

Learn our basic farm schedule.
Learn what equipment will be used and how to operate it.
Learn how to properly mark and identify field plantings.
Be introduced to how our record keeping database works.

3. Primary Supervisor’s qualifications

12 years of vegetable growing experience and 8 years as farm owner/ operator.

4. What plans are in place for the Trainee/Steward to participate in cultural activities while in the United States?

During this phase we have plans to take our Stewards to Longwood gardens, an internationally known ornamental garden and conservatory.

5. Specific knowledge, skills, or techniques to be learned during this phase?

Crop rotation scheduling.
IPM and season extension techniques: pest exclusion and temperature control with row covers.
Weed and water management with plasticulture techniques.
Field mapping and succession ID with field markers.

6. How specifically will this knowledge, skills, or techniques be taught? Include methodology of training and chronology/syllabus.

This phase is taught through visual and hands on learning. During this phase, we are actively preparing fields for planting main season crops while managing small plantings of early season crops. Our farm crew will be trained during group discussions with the whole team as well as small group demonstrations and photographic depictions of our end result expectations. By the end of phase 1 we expect the trainees to be able to properly transplant and cover cash crops as well as mark and Identify successions in the field.

7. How will the Trainee/Steward’s acquisition of new skills and competencies be measured?

We will move on to the phase 2 when trainees are able to ride the transplanter and keep up with our designated speed while placing plants at the proper depth. They should also be able to retrieve IPM materials and properly deploy row covers in the field as a routine operation following planting. Trainees will be considered competent when they can unroll covers and place hoops and sandbags at the proper intervals to avoid covers sagging and being blown off by the wind.

8. Additional Phase Remarks (optional)

All new employees and trainees will participate in phase 1 together while preparing for the busy main season starting in May.

 

[Phase 2]

Phase Name Main season establishment and maintenance
Start Date of Phase 04/24/2017 End Date of Phase 06/30/2017
Primary Supervisor during this phase Trey Flemming Supervisor Title Owner, Farm Production Manager
Email [email protected] Phone Number 6108122582
 
1. Describe the Trainee/Steward’s role for this phase

Trainees will be on the planting, harvesting and crop maintenance crew. Crew leaders are responsible for teaching the basics of harvesting and weeding techniques to trainees in order to establish their roll as part of the crop maintenance team. Trainees are to become familiar with our harvesting techniques and standards, tomato trellising and pruning and timing and implementation of cultivation and weeding.

2. Specific goals and objectives for this phase

Teach production methods of major cash crops.
Establish the routines of farm production and harvesting.
Learn our quality standards and harvest techniques.
Become familiar with CSA direct marketing and farmers market.

3. Primary Supervisor’s qualifications

12 years of vegetable growing experience and 8 years as farm owner/ operator.

4. What plans are in place for the Trainee/Steward to participate in cultural activities while in the United States?

Trainees will visit the Farmer’s market and take a couple day trips to Philadelphia and the surrounding communities depending on the trainees destination preference.

5. Specific knowledge, skills, or techniques to be learned during this phase?

Grafted tomato production, pruning and trellising.
High tunnel production.
Harvesting techniques.
Crop rotations
Fertility management.

6. How specifically will this knowledge, skills, or techniques be taught? Include methodology of training and chronology/syllabus.

This phase is taught through visual and hands on learning. Also, written descriptions of cultural practices will be provided in english and spanish using a document translator. Documents will be reviewed by an experienced bilingual farm worker for clarity to ensure the message is clear.
All techniques are introduced through demonstration and skills are refined through repetition.

7. How will the Trainee/Steward’s acquisition of new skills and competencies be measured?

Trainees will be accountable to the harvest supervisor who will provide evaluation and feedback. Competency will be determined by the speed and thoroughness of the job.

8. Additional Phase Remarks (optional)

This phase is the main phase of production on the farm.

 

[Phase 3]

Phase Name Fall transition
Start Date of Phase 06/30/2017 End Date of Phase 11/15/2017
Primary Supervisor during this phase Trey Flemming Supervisor Title Owner, Farm Production Manager
Email [email protected] Phone Number 6108122582
 
1. Describe the Trainee/Steward’s role for this phase

Stewards will be responsible for the termination of cash crops and the removal of production materials such as row cover, stakes and trellis, plastic and irrigation supplies. Stewards will learn to evaluate when fields are to be transitioned from cash crop production to cover crops and to implement fertility management practices.

2. Specific goals and objectives for this phase

Learn to evaluate when a cash crop needs to be terminated and fields transitioned to cover crops.
Learn to prepare for the end of growing season.
Learn to transition high tunnel production from summer crops to fall crops.
Learn the ecology of main season, late season and overwintering cover crops.

3. Primary Supervisor’s qualifications

12 years of vegetable growing experience and 8 years as farm owner/ operator.

4. What plans are in place for the Trainee/Steward to participate in cultural activities while in the United States?

Trainees will go to the Kennet Square mushroom festival, the mushroom growing capitol of the world.
Other events TBD.

5. Specific knowledge, skills, or techniques to be learned during this phase?

Field Cleanup
Compost application
Cover cropping strategies
Late season extension and winter growing establishment.
Tractor operations

6. How specifically will this knowledge, skills, or techniques be taught? Include methodology of training and chronology/syllabus.

This phase is taught through visual and hands on learning. Also, written descriptions of cultural practices will be provided in english and spanish using a document translator. Documents will be reviewed by an experienced bilingual farm worker for clarity to ensure the message is able to be understood.

7. How will the Trainee/Steward’s acquisition of new skills and competencies be measured?

Trainees will be accountable to the production supervisor who will provide evaluation and feedback. Competency will be determined by the speed and thoroughness of the job.
The establishment and stand density of cover crops will be evaluated at a few critical points during the growth cycle. Use of the tractor will be evaluated based on the effectiveness of the implementation of critical steps.

8. Additional Phase Remarks (optional)

The final phase is a focus on cover crops, fertility management and end of season tasks. Season extension for December markets will be another focus of this phase.