Cristina Cosentino works as Field Operations Specialist at the H.O.G. Farm, a diversified organic vegetable farm in Brookhaven, NY. I no longer think of time as linear from date to date, but rather from vegetable to vegetable. I never thought that the mental organization of my personal life would be so intimately intertwined with memories of harvesting strawberries or trellising tomatoes. But that’s how farming is-- it takes over. As a beginner I’d had an idea in my mind about what it meant to be a farmer. Now in my fourth season I reflect on how that continues to change as quickly as the seasons, though I still don’t know what it necessarily “means” to be a farmer to me. I reflect on naive expectations I continue to have and realize every day that this “farmer” identity grows as gradually and organically as the crops we sow. Much of it has taken me by surprise . . . 
  1. Forget about working hard and focus on working smart. It’s July. We have 14,500 garlic stalks to pull and sort at The H.O.G. Farm. Last week’s to-do’s are already irrelevant, as they drown in the weeds of this week’s list. Where am I? I’m leaving work to go to the chiropractor and physical therapist. Why? Because in just three seasons I’ve managed to do enough damage to my body to justify it. I don’t know a single farmer without back pain. While we’re encouraging young people to pursue farming in a way that is healthy for the environment, we’re not emphasizing the importance of farming sustainably for the farmer as well. Don’t underestimate good ergonomics, as working according to your body might ultimately be the most efficient.
  2. Farming takes a long time to learn. It’s hard not to want to try it all. In my first season alone I worked on a veggie farm, sheep farm, and apiary. Did I learn a lot? Yes. But did my knowledge need refinement? Absolutely. With a lot of things in farming, you may have to wait a year or two to see results. As a beginning farmer, just when you think you’ve got a hold on how something works, you’re shown how to do it differently. Be patient, commit to one area at a time, and learn it well.
  3. Farming is a creative field. Models can’t simply be replicated. You need creativity to make money, solve problems and find life in the often mundane tasks of daily work. Sometimes the perfect tool doesn’t exist so you have to engineer your own, like my friend Teddy Bolkas of Thera Farms who extended his Allis G to fit his giant build.
  4. Stop writing off math and engineering. Self sufficiency in farming can mean saving money you’d otherwise spend to have someone else do a job for you. I never expected to learn what a sawzall or filter wrench were when I started farming. Whether it’s calculating the amount of seed you need or calibrating the spreader, farming efficiently demands that you aren’t afraid to take the subjects that may intimidate you by the horns.
  5. Shoot for 75% success. Don’t expect every seed to germinate, every leaf to be flea-beetle-free, or every disking to be a perfect pass. Enjoy the fleeting satisfaction of immediate gratification, one project at a time. Bask in the perfection of a freshly hand-weeded carrot bed. Celebrate the sections of your direct seeded dill that did germinate. Accept that you will make mistakes (the kind you think you’re going to get fired for), and use them as learning opportunities.
  6. Don’t put your head down and just do your job. It’s easy to get wrapped up in bunching kale. But if managing or having a farm is your goal, try to think ahead of how each task fits into the big picture of the operation. Separating the farm into smaller categories helps this feel more manageable. Give yourself an hour each week to do your own “farm walk,” even if it’s not required in your job description. Discuss what you think is high, medium, and low priority and how to tackle your to-do’s with a manager. Be grateful to the teachers who expect this kind of forward thinking, however reluctant or unconfident you might feel at the time.
  7. You don’t have to go to school for agriculture to get into farming. I finished my Master’s in Italian with Slow Food on my mind, determined to incorporate it into life at home. I worked at farmers markets and restaurants, started writing about food, and sold wine. I never thought of myself as a farmer. I kind of accidentally fell into it. But to my surprise what I thought I lacked in practical knowledge I made up for with sales experience, attention to detail, people skills, creativity, self motivation-- all skills I acquired through unrelated jobs I held and never thought would be applicable. You could grow the best veggies in the world, but if you don’t know how to sell them or manage your time efficiently, the only thing you’re cultivating is an unsustainable business. Though an intimate knowledge of science and mechanics is present throughout this work, it comes with time and can be earned through hours of sweat equity. I’ve still got a lot of learning to do.
  8. Reading every farming book will not immediately make you a better farmer. I’m unashamed to admit that I spent much of my time off in my first season trying to plow through all of the major works-- The Winter Harvest Handbook, One Straw Revolution, and The Market Gardener, to name a few. But in order to acquire knowledge, one must apply it. I would have been better off reading one at a time, slowly, finding more authentic translations of their philosophies in the field when the time arose for application. Instead I flooded my mind with mobile greenhouse plans when I should have focused on learning how to hoe without throwing my neck out.
  9. Realize the value of a willing mentor. Find a good mentor and pick their brain until they realize you’ve been coming back so much you need to start getting paid. It’s important to explore where your interest lies, but it’s equally crucial to invest in one system, preferably more than one season. The first season is acclimating, while the next is refining. Cling to the mentor that calls you out on your mistakes, teaches you through demonstrations, and is generous and patient enough to give you some responsibility.
  10. You will need to make sacrifices, but don’t let go of skills that make you well-rounded and continue to invest time in them. When I started, I pictured myself working 7 days a week doing nothing but field work. It turns out I quite like other things like educating, which has evolved into a side business that carries me financially as I slowly learn my way towards more lucrative farming positions. My love for fitness is coming surprisingly close to intersecting with that of farming, as I learn the value of proper form and innovative business solutions. Most importantly, it’s lovely to be passionate, but even more wonderful to be resilient. You have to take care of yourself.
Cristina Cosentino works as Field Operations Specialist at The H.O.G. Farm in Brookhaven, NY where she and her “farmily” grow over 300 varieties of mixed vegetables on 15 acres using organic methods. She is a certified personal trainer, italianista, regular contributor to Edible East End, and teaches homeowners and institutions like Northwell Health how to build and maintain organic vegetable gardens. Learn more at www.cristinacosentinoorganicfarming.com