posted 10 years ago
There are still quite a few horse farms in NJ, especial North Jersey. You could contact them in a variety of ways.....contact them individually and submit a resume and job request, post notices on the bulletin boards at the various feed mills, send a letter of explanation and resume to all the large animal veterinarians listed in your desired area, do the same with all the local various horse oriented clubs, put a classified ad in the various equine newsletters (you can often find copies at the feed mills), send your letter & resume to every farm listed in the phone book, search online for NJ farm websites and contact them, visit granges and get the word out to the members, go to Farm Bureau meetings and meet the farmers directly. It's late in the season but you might still be able to meet farmers at farmer markets, roadside stands, and via CSAs. 4-H might be worth contacting. Also nurseries and greenhouse operations.
Working at a conventional ag operations are great learning experiences even though you plan to end up organic or permaculture. So I wouldn't be quick to dismiss them. Once you have ag experience it's easier to get into the type of position you want. As a teen I started out walking dogs at a boarding kennel, then worked as a helper at a vet hospital, later was a seasonal picker at various farms, exercised race horses and mucked stalls, landed a two year stint in a commercial greenhouse until I left to start my own greenhouse business, went to school and ended up in vet medicine, and finally left it all to create my homestead. All the things I learned along the way opened doors and gave me a good foundation for homesteading.
Wishing you success!
It's never too late to start! I retired to homestead on the slopes of Mauna Loa, an active volcano. I relate snippets of my endeavor on my blog : www.kaufarmer.blogspot.com
