Episode 34: Rachel Stoltzfus on Career Development Post-Apprenticeship

In this episode of Regeneration Rising, host Taylor Muglia sits down with 2022 New Agrarian Program alumna Rachel Stoltzfus, who now works as a Herdsman at Herr Angus Farm in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. Rachel talks about lessons she took from her apprenticeship at Round River Resource Management, her process and decision to take a job at a cattle farm near her hometown, and learning curves she faces as she builds her career and life in land stewardship.
Shownotes
1:14 Quivira announcements
3:10 speaker background
4:38 introduction
6:38 agriculture work after college
7:52 new agrarian program experience
9:38 accomplishments from time as an apprentice
10:21 lessons that she’s still processing from that time
11:25 background of current operation
12:42 role on current operation
13:48 embryo transfer in cattle
17:42 navigating fair pay for experience level
20:45 identifying your skills and having evidence for future employer
21:12 talking money can be intimidating
24:22 implementing regenerative grazing processes on the farm
28:11 practices she’s currently trying out
29:33 pressure around trying out ideas on farm
31:15 burnout in this field
35:38 climbing the ladder in farm leadership
38:52 needs in order to take on a higher leadership role
40:17 what keeps her heart in agriculture
41:31 advice to beginning agrarians