Episode 42: The Immersive Apprenticeship: Training the Next Generation of Farmers at Deck Family Farm

Christine Deck’s journey into agriculture is deeply rooted in a desire to rewrite her family’s history. After watching generations of farmers forced out by the "get big or get out" era, she and her husband founded Deck Family Farm in Junction City, Oregon, as a diversified, regenerative haven.

Today, the farm is a thriving ecosystem of cattle, heritage pigs, dairy, and a full-farm CSA, all serving as a living classroom for the next generation of agricultural leaders. This conversation dives into the heart of their year-long apprenticeship program, where students are treated as more than just hands—they are future business owners. Christine discusses the necessity of rotating through the enterprises to learn the background and numbers behind the business, the power of living in an intentional farm community, and her bold plans to preserve this land forever through a farmland trust.

You’ll hear:

• 🌱 How the loss of family farms in California fueled Christine’s passion to ensure the next generation has the skills to stay on the land.

• 🐄 A look at managing a farm model that includes everything from 600 heritage pigs to a working dairy and a full farm CSA.

• 🎓 Why Christine shifted from volunteer help to paid staff that act as mentors for their year-long, enterprise-based learning apprenticeships for students.

• 📈 Why their apprenticeship program prioritizes teaching financials and marketing alongside daily animal care to ensure students can actually make a living.

• 🏡 The impact of immersive education and "on-farm" living, where learning happens everywhere from the dawn chores to the dinner table.

• 📜 How putting land into a trust ensures it remains a farming resource for future operators.

Learn more about Deck Family Farm:

🌐 Website: https://www.deckfamilyfarm.com/

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