I recently got this email:
Hello,
My name is Kent Robertson, and I’m reaching out to express interest in potential apprenticeship or work opportunities with your operation.
I’m drawn to earthen construction and land-based work because I value building skills that are practical, durable, and rooted in stewardship of the land. I’m especially interested in learning through hands-on experience—whether that’s natural building methods, working with earth-based materials, or participating in day-to-day farm operations.
I come from an athletic and physically demanding background, and I’m comfortable with hard, repetitive work, long days, and learning by doing. I place a high value on showing up consistently, taking direction well, and contributing wherever I’m needed while developing real, transferable skills over time.
I’m currently exploring opportunities beginning around September of this year or spring/summer of next year, and I’m open to seasonal, part-time, or full-time arrangements, depending on what makes sense for your work. More than anything, I’m looking for an environment where I can learn, contribute meaningfully, and grow in craftsmanship and responsibility.
This year, I am intentionally pursuing hands-on, place-based work through several local opportunities. These include volunteering with Habitat for Humanity on residential construction projects, completing a regenerative farming apprenticeship with Fruit of Levine, and participating in relevant workshops in regenerative agriculture and natural/earthen building as they become available.
I am actively transitioning away from full-time personal training toward regenerative farming and earthen construction—fields I see as both practically essential and deeply meaningful. At a fundamental level, humans require food, water, and shelter. Skills connected to these needs are timeless, necessary, and resilient. I believe that individuals proficient in even one of these areas—and especially those who develop competency across multiple—will always have meaningful work and a tangible role in their communities.
As society becomes increasingly digitized and automated, hands-on, land-based, and craft-based skills are not fading—they are re-emerging in value. These trades cannot be outsourced to AI or replaced by the internet. Recent global disruptions have highlighted the fragility of modern systems, and I believe future uncertainty will only increase the importance of regenerative food systems, local building knowledge, and practical self-sufficiency.
My goal is to learn from experienced practitioners, contribute labor, and steadily build competence in these disciplines. I am motivated, physically capable, open to learning, and deeply committed to doing meaningful work that serves people and the land.
If this sounds like a potential fit, I would greatly appreciate the chance to connect, ask a few questions, and learn more about your work and any opportunities you may have available.
Thank you for your time and for the work you do.
Best regards,
Kent Robertson
402-210-6373 (I respond to texts much quicker than emails or calls)
trusttheprocess2004 AT gmail.com
Omaha, NE