Small Farm Central

When I was helping run a farm, I had a half-serious remark about finding new employees: "Two hands? You're hired."

That may be true at the height of harvest, but I am sure we would rather find people that have skills beyond physical dexterity. Other qualities, like genuine interest in farming and critical thinking skills go a long way toward making a more fun and productive farm.

So why not use the Internet to attract the most qualified and hard-working employees? The more resumes and interest you can generate will create a wider pool of people to choose from. Then you should be able to find the perfect fit for the position and the farm.

I would add "prospective employees" to the types of people you are trying to "market" to on your website. There is competition for the best farm workers, so you should put your best foot forward. Great photos and engaging content will not only bring new customers, but will also impress the best applicants.

Creating a specific page on your site to market your farm to potential employees is a first step. I like this one from Village Acres Farm because it is descriptive but also uses photos to great effect.

Now, how do employees find this page? There are several listing services for these types of employees. These are mainly for "internship" track type of workers who are coming to work and learn from anywhere in the country.

• ATTRA Internships
• Organic Volunteers
• WWOOF USA
• Your state/local farm organization (see PASA's employment page)
• Even try Craig's List? Could be interesting to see who comes out of that.

You will create a profile on these sites with your farm information and a description of the type of person you need. When you are asked for a link to your website, make sure you link directly to your employment page on your site instead of the front page. This will make sure the prospective employee gets the information right away instead of having to wade through the rest of your site first.

Another upside to creating these profiles is that it is another link to your website which helps out with Search Engine Optimization.