Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship (DVA) is a formal apprenticeship program registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. It pairs beginning farmers with established farmers—or master growers—to provide a guided pathway toward managing or starting a vegetable farm. The program operates in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.
As they near the end of their 18-month apprenticeship experience, we asked Master Grower Liz Krug and Apprentice Logan McCabe from Fullers Overbrook Farm in Waverly, PA to reflect on their experience.
Master Grower: Liz Krug
Why did you choose to become a master grower and host an apprentice?
We chose to become master growers for two reasons:
1. We see the importance of training the next generation of farmers. [My partner and I both] learned how to farm from apprenticeships and found those experiences to be invaluable. The structure of the Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship program worked well with us because it gave us the tools to make sure we are training the apprentices properly to start or manage their own farms.
2. As a business, having an apprentice for 18 months was extremely beneficial. The amount of time and energy spent on training an apprentice is a lot, so having them stay for 18 months was huge for us.