Published April 22, 2024
Ever wonder what it might be like to work on a farm? Read on to get the first hand take from our very own farm assistant, Grace!
Hello! My name is Grace and I work at Durrant Farms as Tom and Whtiney’s farm assistant. I wanted to come on here and talk about what a day in the life as a farm assistant looks like for me. Durrant Farms is a developing homestead and retreat center that is also raising alpacas, so my day-to-day can vary pretty widely.
One thing that is consistent is the care I give to the herd. Every morning that I get to work, my first task is feeding the llamas and alpacas and making sure everything in the pasture is looking good. This includes checking their water troughs, hay feeder, minerals, and latrines. Alpacas are naturally potty trained, so they tend to all take care of business at the same office, if you know what I mean, making cleanup pretty easy. If their latrines are full, I go and grab the poo-vacuum to clean them up. Yupp, you read that right, we have a poo-vacuum! This handy device makes the often unpleasant task of cleaning up animal droppings a lot less unpleasant. Alpacas droppings make an amazing fertilizer, so we typically dispose of their waste in different areas on the property to give our plants extra nutrients in order to thrive.
When the alpaca pasture is well taken care of, I usually check in with Tom and Whitney to see what tasks are on the day’s schedule. We’re currently gearing up for the coming of spring, getting the land ready for the growing season. There have been lots of landscaping tasks to take care of including weeding, trimming back brush, creek clearing, tree care, and garden planning. Sometimes, I do research for the farm or write blogs such as this one. Recently, I’ve been doing research on chickens and honey bees! Tom and I recently finished building the beehive and we have officially placed an order on bees! We’re also currently getting the garden ready for the chickens that will be arriving in just a few short weeks, and I am heading the build on the chicken coop. Additionally, we have been preparing the garden for planting, which has me very excited. We’re planning to grow a lot of yummy foods and some perennial herbs. I have never worked on a farm before and this is my first year planting a garden with Durrant Farms. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I am so excited to experience the true fruits of our labor.
Everyday on the farm tends to bring on new and different tasks which have helped me build a multitude of skills, including increased critical thinking and problem solving abilities. Better yet, Tom and Whitney allow me a lot of creative freedom when it comes to projects and design of the farm. They have been amazing employers that truly care about and value their employees’ input when it comes to developing their special haven of land. When I say this is my favorite job I have ever had, that is no understatement. It is not always easy work by any means, but it challenges me to grow in a multitude of ways and I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned. I mean, come on, they even included the benefits of alpaca cuddles in my contract!
