how do I learn to farm?

This from a reader:Dear Sean & Beth,I’m emailing you because I’m thinking about becoming a farmer or rancher.I’ve lived in the city all my life and have been trained for a white-collar job (I graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree two years ago). About a year and a half ago, I started speaking with a spiritual director, and I’m convinced, for many reasons, that I’d like to work the land. I researched “Catholic farming,” found you through New Catholic Land Movement, and am now emailing you to learn more about this vocation.Here are some of the questions I have:1. What steps should I take if I’d like to farm or ranch?2. Would it be wise to study at college, or would I be in too much debt?Thank you,D.Hi, D----,Thanks for reaching out to us. These are great questions! While we are working on a longer answer, here’s a short one:Second question first: No school. Yes, it would be too much debt, but, more importantly, there isn’t a school for this.First question second: 1) Attach yourself to a piece of land. Smallish. And start managing it for food and fertility from the sun. Plant something, mulch it, make compost, grow food. If there’s enough land, graze something. Match your animal to your forage and topography. Move it every day. If it’s lactating, milk it. 2) Show up on other folks’ land and help out. Pay attention. Be critical (silently), and don’t copy anything that doesn’t flow from the soil, sun, precipitation, and the natural order of things. The time is past when we can afford to hot-wire nature to try to get a bigger pay-off for poorer work.We’ll try to expand this answer, but this weekend we’re off to the Mother Earth News Fair to talk about forage, and land, and fences.Blessings!