While working with apprentices can be rewarding and productive, these relationships are not without their difficulties. The terms of the farm apprenticeship exchange are different from the wage exchange. Apprenticeships offer less tangible and, we hope, more valuable and reciprocal exchanges. These exchanges involve, of course, skills training for labor, but also go far beyond this in many cases to include knowledge, wisdom, values, philosophies, and experiences that are powerful formative forces in an apprentice’s education and life path. By participating in the Apprenticeship Program, you are therefore agreeing to be a mentor as well as a boss. This is an important responsibility that we hope that you will take seriously, but we recognize that it is not easy. Farming is a tough, exhausting and stressful job by itself. Being a good mentor in addition to being a good farmer is especially difficult. An apprenticeship is not necessarily the ideal means of finding extra hands. An apprentice will take a great deal of one’s time explaining procedures, demonstrating techniques or correcting the mistakes that are a normal part of any learning process. With time, the apprentice can become more skilled and valuable, depending on their level of commitment. It is essential to the success of this program that each applicant farmer possess a strong commitment to sharing his or her knowledge and experience with persons of different backgrounds and skills who may not become efficient workers until the apprenticeship is under way.