An enjoyment of working outside and an interest in gardening started Jeffrey Doty on a path toward farming. He had worked in several different fields, including food service, construction, landscaping, and as a forklift operator at a warehouse. These experiences confirmed that he wanted to work outside and with plants. Having a big garden or small hobby farm someday was an early goal. This interest started as a child while helping his father at the local farmer’s market. They sold basil and lettuce grown in the family’s small greenhouse. Jeffrey’s dad was a hobby farmer focused on hydroponics and aquaponics at their home in Rogers, Arkansas. Jeffrey’s mother sent him information on the new Farm Apprenticeship Program at The Center for Arkansas Farms and Foods. It seemed like a career path that combined the aspects of work he enjoyed with his interests, work preferences, and goals. “I thought, why not give it a try?” he says. “I’m happy I did.”
The CAFF program matched Jeffrey with an apprenticeship opportunity at Appel Farms in Springdale. It’s a specialty crop farm with you-pick strawberries in the spring and pumpkins in the fall. The farm raises pork, fresh eggs, and vegetables too. A small house on site was renovated into a market stand and commercial kitchen. There are special events, including a popular Mother’s Day brunch featuring freshly prepared food from the farm.
Jeffrey likes that he stays busy and has learned a lot while working at Appel Farms. He thinks he still has a lot more to learn. One of his favorite things about farming is that every day is different, even if he’s doing the same things. “There are always new challenges and problems to solve,” He says, “I love how ‘simply complicated’ it is.”
He adds, “I love getting dirty, feeding the animals, taking care of the plants, and even weeding. There’s a great sense of accomplishment in all of it. You can work long hours when it doesn’t feel like work. I enjoy it, and farm equipment is pretty cool too.”
Jeffrey recommends the CAFF Farm Apprenticeship program to anyone interested in learning to farm. After experiencing it, he now has the goal of having a small farm and selling to restaurants and farmers’ markets. He looks forward to providing people in the community, small businesses, and local chefs with access to fresh food. Having a large-scale farm operation was never an interest for Jeffrey. He sees himself getting up every day to check on his plants with Emma, his Australian Shepherd, tagging along. For now, Jeffrey’s focus is on learning as much as he can about operating a profitable small-scale farming operation.
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