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Host Training Plan
Stone & Thistle Farm
| Name | Thomas Warren | [email protected] | |
| Steward(s) Selected | – | ||
| Training Start Date | 05/04/2020 | Training End Date | 11/23/2020 |
| Steward Training Hours per Week | 48 hours | ||
| Compensation (Stipend or Wage) | Yes | If Yes, how much/how often? | [1156] |
| Non-Monetary Compensation and Estimated Value | $400 month housing. $250 month food $50 month local transportation $100 month workshops |
| Name of your Workers’ Compensation Carrier | Farm and Family Insurance |
| Will your Workers’ Compensation policy cover the Steward? | Yes |
| Number of Employees at training location | 4 full time (Tom, Denise – owners and sons Riley and Shane. Part time one day a week three to four part time employees and one day a week two part time employees |
| Number of Interns/Trainees/Apprentices at training location | 0-1 |
| Annual Revenue | $0 to $3 Million |
[Phase 1]
| Phase Name | Getting to Know You/Getting to Know Us | ||
| Start Date of Phase | 05/04/2020 | End Date of Phase | 05/18/2020 |
| Primary Supervisor during this phase | Tom Warren | Supervisor Title | Owner |
| [email protected] | Phone Number | 607-278-5800 | |
| 1. Describe the Trainee/Steward’s role for this phase |
|
Introduce the trainee to the farm, family life, livestock, routines, chores, special jobs |
| 2. Specific goals and objectives for this phase |
|
To gain a satisfactory level of comfort with the family, farm, farm team, employees, routines and chore/job expectations. |
| 3. Primary Supervisor’s qualifications |
|
Owner of Stone & Thistle Farm for over 25 years. Workshop educator and participant. |
| 4. What plans are in place for the Trainee/Steward to participate in cultural activities while in the United States? |
|
We welcome the trainee to join us social activities such as community dinner parties and to attend with us or solo local music, theatre, festivals. Twice a Every weekend we travel to New York metro area for farmers markets. The trainee will accompany us to the farmers markets in Westchester, Brooklyn and or Manhattan. During that time, the trainee can train with us at the farmers markets or sight see Manhattan and Brooklyn. We can arrange a friend to accompany the trainee or they can sightsee unaccompanied. |
| 5. Specific knowledge, skills, or techniques to be learned during this phase? |
|
Skills include listening, comprehension and remembering. Note taking or photo taking if needed. Trainee will learn how to do daily chores such as: Feed cattle, hogs, chickens (broilers), laying hens, ducks, guinea hens, rabbits, goats, sheep, horses. Collect, clean and pack eggs. Shutting broiler chickens into pens at night and letting them out on pasture in the morning. Milk goats for non commercial use. Weekly: one day a week: slaughter poultry and rabbits. Once a week livestock care such as shearing, trimming hooves, clipping. |
| 6. How specifically will this knowledge, skills, or techniques be taught? Include methodology of training and chronology/syllabus. |
|
Knowledge and skills will be taught via discussion, demonstration and guided instruction. |
| 7. How will the Trainee/Steward’s acquisition of new skills and competencies be measured? |
|
Ability to receive instruction, comprehend instruction and utilize instruction via chores/jobs. |
| 8. Additional Phase Remarks (optional) |
|
Phase one is critical as it determines the comfort level the supervisor has with the trainee (personality, work ethic, innate skills) and determines the comfort level the trainee has with our family and farm. Is our farm and family a good fit for the trainee? Is the trainee a good fit for our farm and family? After a week or two, trainee communicates specific roles/jobs/chores he would like to be introduced to or accomplish during his/her stay. |
[Phase 2]
| Phase Name | Farm Routines | ||
| Start Date of Phase | 05/18/2020 | End Date of Phase | 07/27/2020 |
| Primary Supervisor during this phase | Tom Warren | Supervisor Title | Owner of Stone & Thistle Farm |
| warren@stoneandthistlefarm | Phone Number | 607-278-5800 | |
| 1. Describe the Trainee/Steward’s role for this phase |
|
Work with farm team and independently |
| 2. Specific goals and objectives for this phase |
|
To gain confidence, learn to work with a team and achieve the ability to work independently |
| 3. Primary Supervisor’s qualifications |
|
owner of livestock farm for over 25 years |
| 4. What plans are in place for the Trainee/Steward to participate in cultural activities while in the United States? |
|
Same as phase one – attend local entertainment and social events with our family or solo. Attend local young farmer meet ups such as NY Young Farmer Coalition. Work and socialize with other farm families and employees of local vegetable farms, dairy farms. |
| 5. Specific knowledge, skills, or techniques to be learned during this phase? |
|
Skills of observation – noting when something is not working properly or when an animal is ill or off. Skills of questioning – keeping a need to know or curiosity log of questions to ask at lunch or at the end of the day. Skills of communication – discussing problems, solutions, feelings, hates, likes. Skills of endurance – knowing when the trainee is too tired to complete the task properly or safely. The following jobs will be introduced during this period: Build permanent fencing/Repair fencing; Barn or structure building and repair; Maintain and repair machinery; Castrate bulls, feeder pigs, Pack for and attend Saturday or Sunday farmers’ markets regionally and in NYC metro area, Feed and work with border collies and livestock guardian dogs, Plant, weed and harvest kitchen vegetable and herb gardens. Clean up and organization of barns and farm area |
| 6. How specifically will this knowledge, skills, or techniques be taught? Include methodology of training and chronology/syllabus. |
|
Skills will be taught by working side by side with farm team or supervisor. Prompting for observation, questions, communicating will be done on a regular basis. |
| 7. How will the Trainee/Steward’s acquisition of new skills and competencies be measured? |
|
New skills will be measured by the trainee’s competence in observation, communication and endurance. |
| 8. Additional Phase Remarks (optional) |
|
From May to November – jobs/chores change with the seasons. Introduce specific skills he/she identified as wanting to learn or master. |
[Phase 3]
| Phase Name | Becoming a Farm Team Member | ||
| Start Date of Phase | 07/27/2020 | End Date of Phase | 09/28/2020 |
| Primary Supervisor during this phase | Tom Warren | Supervisor Title | Owner of Stone & Thistle Farm |
| [email protected] | Phone Number | 607-278-5800 | |
| 1. Describe the Trainee/Steward’s role for this phase |
|
To become a valuable member of the farm team and to work with independently and safely with accuracy and confidence. |
| 2. Specific goals and objectives for this phase |
|
Identify and perform chores/jobs/roles within the farm team in which the trainee excels or likes to do. Identify and perform chores/jobs/roles that the trainee needs to improve. Achieve ability to work independently with accuracy and confidence. Introduce skills that the trainee identified as wanting to learn or master. |
| 3. Primary Supervisor’s qualifications |
|
Owner of livestock farm for over 25 years |
| 4. What plans are in place for the Trainee/Steward to participate in cultural activities while in the United States? |
|
Sames as phase 2. Sightseeing trips within reasonable driving distance. Cross off some of the trainee’s bucket list of places to visit and things to do while in the United States. |
| 5. Specific knowledge, skills, or techniques to be learned during this phase? |
|
Problem Solving – Ability to identify problems and learn to present the problem to the team or to solve the problem independently. Efficiencies – ability to identify and create efficiencies in job/chores. The trainee will be introduced to agritourism: Assist with farm tours and summer programs such as Farmer for a Day or the farm’s agriculture and food workshops. |
| 6. How specifically will this knowledge, skills, or techniques be taught? Include methodology of training and chronology/syllabus. |
|
Skills will be taught via observation, demonstration and independent facilitation. |
| 7. How will the Trainee/Steward’s acquisition of new skills and competencies be measured? |
|
New skills and competencies will be measured by supervisor’s observation of improvement in problem solving and creating efficiencies. |
| 8. Additional Phase Remarks (optional) |
|
Trainee settles into a routine of independent chores – these are daily chores that the trainee does every day independently. As the summer ends, new skills are introduced as we prepare the farm for colder weather. Continue to introduce training skills such as livestock care, farm maintenance, marketing, sales, agritourism. |
[Phase 4]
| Phase Name | It’s Official. You are a Farm Team Member | ||
| Start Date of Phase | 09/28/2020 | End Date of Phase | 11/23/2020 |
| Primary Supervisor during this phase | Tom Warren | Supervisor Title | Owner of Stone & Thistle Farm |
| [email protected] | Phone Number | 607-278-5800 | |
| 1. Describe the Trainee/Steward’s role for this phase |
|
As an official Farm Team Member, contribute new ideas, methods and efficiencies to farm routines/chores/jobs. |
| 2. Specific goals and objectives for this phase |
|
Operate independently and as a core member of the farm team. Refine skills. Contribute new ideas, methods and efficiencies to farm routines/chores/jobs |
| 3. Primary Supervisor’s qualifications |
|
Owner of livestock farm for 25 years or more. Workshop educator and participant. |
| 4. What plans are in place for the Trainee/Steward to participate in cultural activities while in the United States? |
|
What’s left on the To See and To Do bucket list that is manageable and doable? |
| 5. Specific knowledge, skills, or techniques to be learned during this phase? |
|
Operate independently and as a core member of the farm team. Identify and facilitate an independent farm project from start to finish such as build a fence, raise a group of animals from birth to slaughter etc. |
| 6. How specifically will this knowledge, skills, or techniques be taught? Include methodology of training and chronology/syllabus. |
|
At this phase, the trainee has the skills to accomplish the independent project. Help, guidance, assistance will be provided as needed. |
| 7. How will the Trainee/Steward’s acquisition of new skills and competencies be measured? |
|
The trainee will measure his/her own new skills to determine if they are satisfied with the outcomes. |
| 8. Additional Phase Remarks (optional) |
|
During the last phase of the program, the trainee will focus on refining skills learned on the farm and accomplish personal and work/education goals before his/her departure |
