I
turned down seven farming positions at the beginning of the 2013 season. All
across the United States I’d submitted applications and received offers from
California, New York, Vermont, and Minnesota. In January, I declined an offer
to attend an elite apprenticeship program in California. Though this
experiential learning position had been my dream since I could say the words, “I
want to be a farmer,” I couldn’t afford the tuition of three thousand dollars,
plus housing, airfare, books, tools, and shared food expenses.