Type of opportunity:

Lease (1 to 5 Years), Lease (5+ Years), Lease with Option to Buy, Incubator / Mentored Lease, Business Partnership, Employment, Employment with Transfer. More info: I am graduating this year from Virginia Tech with my degree in Agricultural Technology is Applied Agricultural Management. I have focused in Livestock Production. I have worked on produce farms before, and I am familiar with produce and mushrooms as well. I am a first generation farmer, and I am looking to learn from other farmers as well if possible while trying to start my own operation. I'd love to share my knowledge from school while learning life lessons and on farm hands experience.

Equipment & infrastructure:

Barn, Fencing, Well / Pond / Other water source, Livestock facilities, Farmer housing, Farm equipment, Cold storage (cooler/freezer). More info: It would be nice to have these infrastructures on sight.

Current production on farm:

Cattle (Dairy/Beef), Hogs, Poultry (Broiler/Layer), Sheep/Goat (Dairy/Meat).

Current farming practices:

Conventional, Ecological production but not certified. More info: I have learned about conventional farming, but have worked on all certified naturally grown farms, or organic farms as well. I do believe in being sustainable with farming practices and being productive and efficient at the same time.

Previous farming experience:

Employee

Production goals:

Cattle (Dairy/Beef), Hogs, Poultry (Broiler/Layer), Sheep/Goat (Dairy/Meat). More info: I would love to start meat rabbits, and a mushroom operation as well.

Personal experience and production goals summary:

I have worked on a 150 acre certified naturally grown farm that had livestock and produce with a mushroom operation. That is where my love for mushrooms has grown. They had belted galloways, duroc crosses, broilers, layers, meat rabbits, katadhins, and turkeys. There was a lot of produce, and while I do like produce, livestock is where my heart lies. I would love to have a small produce operation if done correctly. I packed for farmers markets and drove and set up with another worker from the farm and him and I drove there to manage farmers markets. I do like selling directly to customers through markets. In the end, I would like to manage a stocker or backgrounding operation and then still do some direct marketing with other livestock and produce, mushrooms, and other goods from the farm. The other farm I had worked on was a small homestead and they had dairy goats so I am familair with hand milking and using a small milk machine for the goats. They were the ones that introduced me to meat rabbits and I found a huge passion for rabbits and the meat they produce. I love the life cycle of rabbits and it is something I hope to continue on my farm and wherever I end up. During my college career at Virginia Tech I was awared a scholarship for a grazing operation for cattle and I worked on a project that was focusing on companion grazing meat goats with cattle. My scholarship partner and I frostseedd the farm we were studying and brought the goats in to help manage weeds, and studied the companion grazing with the cattle. 

Resume:

Resume.docx