February 08, 2024
Mark Hill/FOX
Sydney Errera, of Mullica Township, is a contestant on the FOX reality dating series, 'Farmer Wants a Wife.' In a Q&A, she details how she joined the show and teases an upcoming plot twist.
South Jersey's Sydney Errera has made her debut last week on the FOX reality dating series "Farmer Wants a Wife."
In the Season 2 premiere, the 22-year-old construction worker connected with Mitchell Kolinsky, one of four bachelors on the show, and was invited to continue on the journey for love at his farm in Tennessee.
RELATED: South Jersey woman to compete on FOX dating show 'Farmer Wants a Wife'
Errera is a Cedar Creek High School grad from Mullica Township's Sweetwater section, a small community along the Mullica River. To celebrate her TV debut, Sweetwater Marina and Riverdeck — a bar on the river where Errera and her sisters worked for years — threw a watch party. Errera could not attend because she was in Los Angeles celebrating the premiere with some friends from the "Farmer" cast, but she felt the love from South Jersey.
"I wasn't sure how people would react, if they would be supportive of me," Errera said. "And then I saw videos from Sweetwater and I was just literally crying in my Uber to the premiere party. I was so overwhelmed with love."
On "Farmer Wants a Wife," hosted by country singer Jennifer Nettles, four farmers attempt to find wives among 32 bachelorettes. In the first episode, the farmers were matched with several women and tasked with deciding which ladies they wanted to invite to their respective farms.
Errera was paired with Kolinsky, a 27-year-old first-generation farmer who lives in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Kolinsky said he is looking for a wife with a "humble heart and a humble attitude" to share his farmland.
From the moment Errera and Kolinsky met on the episode, sparks flew between them. In their first conversation, Errera told Kolinsky that she's looking for someone to hunt and fish with, and Kolinsky complimented her "beautiful" eyes and smile. He also was impressed by her construction work and ability to operate heavy machinery. To solidify the romantic vibes, the pair compared the callouses on their hands.
Though a teaser for their conversation included an unaired snippet of Errera warning, "I come with baggage," Errera joked that she was talking about something much less dramatic than the trailer may have been trying to suggest.
"Yeah, I was referring to my two pet sheep," Errera revealed. "I tried to convince my parents for years to get me sheep. But it wasn't until like eighth grade that they were like, 'Fine. We'll get you a sheep.' I saved that money. And I bought them. And I still have them, like, they're literally my best friends. ... Their names are Teddy and Tucker."
So how did the self-proclaimed "outdoors gal" find herself on a reality dating show, and what happened when she got to Farmer Mitchell's humble abode? Errera spoke with PhillyVoice over the phone on Friday to discuss all things "Farmer."
The interview has been edited for length and clarity:
PhillyVoice: What made you apply for this show? Or how did you hear about it?
Sydney Errera: I honestly saw an ad for it on Instagram, for the farmers. And I was like, 'wait, this is so me. Like, yeah, I would totally date a farmer.' I honestly didn't even apply. I just texted one of the casting girls, and the next day, I had a Zoom call with her. And then a week later, she was like, 'You got it. Pack your bags, you leave tomorrow.'
PV: Oh, wow! How did you feel when you found out that you were going?
Errera: I was just freaking out. It was crazy. They didn't tell me what state I was going to. I didn't know 'til the night before. It was just so crazy. I was like, 'oh my god, I gotta tell my family.' I literally did not tell anybody.
PV: How did they split the contestants into groups? Did you lean more toward one of the farmers? They said you filled out match-making surveys or something like that.
Errera: They sent us a video of each of the guys, that they made. It was a four-minute video, just talking about themselves and describing it. And then you would vote, my No. 1 pick is Farmer A, my second pick is Farmer B – like that pretty much. I didn't know who I was actually getting connected with until the day of.
PV: What drew you to Farmer Mitchell, as opposed to some of the others? Was he your first pick?
Errera: He was not my first pick, but then when I saw him walk in, I was like, 'oh my gosh, he's so my type.' I thought he was so hot. I was freaking out. But what really drew me to him was the fact that he's super outdoorsy – he loves to hunt and fish. And so, that was my main thing. My main thing was that I wanted someone I could do that with.
PV: It seemed like your first conversation with Mitchell went really well. Did you feel the chemistry even after that first talk?
Errera: Yeah, and it was crazy. Because, literally, for the first week or two, every single interaction was on camera with him. I never saw him any other time. They were super strict about keeping us separated. And after I met him, I was like, 'oh my gosh, I was just glad I didn't have to fake it.' I genuinely was like, 'whoa, I could honestly date this guy.' Like if I saw him in person, I would totally go up to him and be like, 'I want your number.'
PV: So, there are obviously other girls. Was it hard dating the same guy?
Errera: I did not have a problem with it at all. Honestly, I didn't mind when he would kiss other girls or show the other girls attention. It didn't bother me at all. Because, I don't know if it was good that I was delusional, but I'm like, 'I'm gonna be with him.' I don't care what else he does, he's gonna be my boyfriend.
PV: That's a good attitude to go in with! Because if not, you could get jealous and in your head, which would be really hard. So, what else can you tease about the upcoming weeks on the show?
Errera: The house definitely gets turned around like halfway through the season. It was a shock to all the girls. I can't wait for that episode. It's gonna be so funny. I just couldn't believe what I was witnessing.
PV: The show is advertised as city girls coming to the farm. But in South Jersey, there's lots of farmland. So how did you feel about moving onto the farm?
Errera: Yeah, it was awesome. We worked on the farm, like every day, even when we weren't filming. We woke up, we did the chores. It was real. It was awesome. I had a great time. (Mitchell) lives in a 200-year-old cabin in the middle of the woods. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.
PV: Now that the season has begun airing, have you heard from your family and friends? What's been their reaction so far?
Errera: They're all super excited. I was honestly nervous. I usually don't care what other people think. I'm usually just like, eff it, you know, whatever. But I was super nervous about the show coming out.
PV: On the show, you describe working in construction. I would love to hear more about what you do and your upbringing.
Errera: Growing up, my dad owned a construction company. He would always bring me and my two older sisters to work, and would always throw us the machines and teach us so that we could even help them on the job. Then as I got older, I went to college for two years, and it really wasn't something that I was interested in or wanted to do. So I started working for my dad, and I just honestly loved it. I loved waking up every day and getting my hands dirty. It was cool. I was always the only girl on the job site. It just made me feel good, like I'm in a man's world. I love this. You know?
PV: Are you still working in construction? Or do you have plans for what you want to do after the show airs?
Errera: I don't know. I haven't worked construction since I left for the show. I've been so busy, running around doing such different things, but I just really want to maybe get a job in the travel world. I'm really interested in traveling and seeing new things.
"Farmer Wants a Wife" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FOX, and can be streamed on Hulu.
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