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Another good place to locate repu-
table mentors is online via specialized
groups. I’m not talking about bloggers
who’ve been doing their thing for a year
or two and decide to blog as if they’re
experts. Those guys have their place, but
mentoring usually isn’t it. I’m talking
about online experts. Remember me
saying we would’ve lost all four goats
had we not had a long line of mentors
helping us? With the exception of my
mom, not a single one was local, and
I’ve never met any of them in person.
My first goat mentor was Bobbi,
whom I met via Facebook in a goat
group. She taught me how to prep our
doe for breeding, what minerals and
supplements to consider, and which
parasites were a concern. She fed me a
wealth of information. Even more sig-
nificant, Bobbi led me to a group called
Goat Emergency Help and General
Questions. This group gave me lifesav-
ing information on medications, dos-
ages, timing, warming cold kids, bottle
feeding, and more. Chelsea Oram, one
of the page’s administrators, held my
hand from the moment we got the doe
and kids home to the day we knew our
doe was going to survive — a period of
nearly five days. When Chelsea wasn’t
certain what our next step should be, she
consulted other administrators, from as
far away as Canada, to come up with a
new plan of action. Mentoring doesn’t
always have to take place in person.Choosing and
Working with Mentors
How do you know if a mentor's good
for your particular circumstances? First,
determine if they’re as knowledgeable as
they portray themselves to be. The best
method I’ve found is to compare their
teaching/knowledge with the science-
based information I’ve accumulated.
For instance, if a potential beekeeping
mentor tells me to add something to my
hives for mite control that I know is ille-
gal, or if he loses most of his hives every
winter, I know to keep searching. Or if
someone recommends Sevin Dust for
pest control in the garden, but I practiceorganic methods, then that mentor won't
be a good fit for me. Most importantly,
you and your mentors must have com-
patible personalities, or you won’t learn
much from a mentorship.
When accepting the help of a mentor,
you, as the apprentice, should follow
proper etiquette at all times. Mentors are
busy people willing to share their time
with you.
Make sure you’re prepared before
meeting with your mentor. Have any
tools, equipment, or other supplies ready
before they arrive. Do your research be-
fore the meeting and make a list of ques-
tions ahead of time. That way, you’ll
make the most of your time together.
When you have at least some semblance
of an understanding of what they’re
talking about, you’ll gain so much more
from your meeting. And if your mentor
comes to your place to assist in some-
thing, do the work yourself under their
guiding eyes. It’s not learning if they
do it for you. Finally, offer your own
services in exchange for their time. For
instance, offer to help your goat mentor
with hoof trimming, or your beekeeping
mentor with their hives. Alternatively,
offer something in exchange that theymay not have, such as farm fresh eggs,
fresh milk, a variety of canned goods, or
a jar of your own honey.
Regardless of how long you’ve been
digging in the dirt, building shelters,
raising livestock, or performing any
other homesteading skill, the gift of a
mentor’s wisdom is often the most sig-
nificant key to success. Make room for
as many mentors as you can locate. Just
be sure to select knowledgeable people
and use their wisdom in conjunction
with your own research.
Watching my daughter cuddle her
goat kids while their mom lazily chews
her cud is a testimony to the importance
of mentors. We did our research, ac-
cumulated our medicines and equip-
ment ahead of time, and felt somewhat
capable going into our first kidding
season, only to be presented with a bad
situation. Our mentors were our heroes.
Now, go out and find your own!Kristi Cook and her family have been
building their homestead for years.
Kristi shares their experiences through
her articles and workshops, and on her
blog, http://www.TenderHeartsHomestead.LEFT: A beekeeper with more than 20 years’ experience shows Kristi a thing or two.
RIGHT: Kristi’s daughter explains potato planting to her younger brother.