I think daycare is different than parenting in that your job as a parent is raising a productive, compassionate, and loving human, while a daycare provider's mandate is "dont let them die before 5 pm." Both are important jobs!
Dehydrator? You can preserve tomatoes by cutting them in half, laying on baking trays and throwing some thyme sprigs, olive oil, salt and smashed garlic cloves over them. Bake at like 200F for as long as it takes to dry them out.
I don't know much either, but for the berries, worst case just freeze them individually on a baking sheet as they ripen, then transfer frozen berries to a ziploc bag or other airtight container. You can make jam later or throw them in smoothies or just enjoy them as a summer snack.
Depending on the pets, sometimes two can be less work than one. They entertain each other and play together, resulting in less destruction and less demand for attention from their owner. That probably all goes out the window with more than two though!