New Agrarian Voices

Learn about the impressions and experiences of each year's cohort of apprentices in their own words.

 

 

 

 

Kara Stanhope, APPRENTICE, Oxbow Cattle Company

REFLECTIONS AFTER THE FIRST MONTH
April 2023

A sense of community is so important to a meaningful life and I believe contributes the most to a purposeful life. To share ideas and beliefs with people you trust is key to feeling fulfilled. Having a person or a group of people to rely on to go to in a time of need, celebration, or comfort is what makes the journey all worth it. During this apprenticeship I hope to gain a network of friends and colleagues to commune with. Having access to people who are all in a very similar stage in life is such a unique resource, that is very unlike many other jobs or apprenticeships. Surrounding yourself with a tribe to share the good, the bad and the ugly with makes the ebbs and flows of the whole experience much more comforting. Throughout this apprenticeship, I hope I can make connections with new people to guide me through this journey and potentially carry those friendships into the future. The New Agrarian Program name carries a lot of weight and is a door opening opportunity to get in touch with great people who share similar outlooks on agriculture and aligning lifestyles. I became interested in agriculture because food is very important to me and a way to enjoy life through flavor. And knowing how to raise and care for the things that feed me should not only be meaningful to me, but to everyone. With this apprenticeship I wish to gain more knowledge in all things agriculture. I hope to expand on the regenerative practices of ranching and really understand why and how it is done. In addition, extending my horsemanship and stockmanship to go hand in hand with the ways of regenerative, low stress ranching, is another set of skills I am eager to improve on. And through all that, get to know the people who are really making a difference in the agriculture community.  After this program I hope to look back at all the things I learned and relationships that I made and feel even more proud to be a part of this group and the agriculture industry.

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