Beginning Farmer Training Programs
Farm Training Programs
If you’re seeking to develop your skills in farming, there are a variety of learning opportunities available in Northern and Central California. Some are run by colleges and universities, while others are community-based education programs. Between them, there are many avenues for beginning farmers to explore their interests and build farming skills and knowledge.
Farm apprentices planting at the farm. Photo credit: CASFS
Map of alumni farmers who trained at the Agriculture Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) in Salinas, Calif. Photo Credit: albafarmers.org website.
Training & Incubator Programs
Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) offers hands-on, land-based learning in organic production and business management skills on a 100-acre farm in Salinas. The one-year Farmer Education Course (PEPA) combines classroom and field training to prepare aspiring farmers to launch an organic vegetable or strawberry farm. PEPA graduates are eligible to enter the Organic Farm Incubator to start their own farms on ALBA’s land.
UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology Apprenticeship Program offers seasoned beginners a 10-week, residential apprenticeship in small-scale farming and gardening. Guided by agroecological principles and practices, apprentices study soil health and cultivation, plant physiology, crop production and distribution, along with the broader social/political context in which food is grown.
The Horticulture Program at Cabrillo College, in Aptos, offers an Associate Degree in General Horticulture & Crop Production along with Certificates in 10 areas, including Sustainable and Organic Food Production, Permaculture, and Greenhouse and Nursery Management.
Hidden Villa, an educational non-profit with an organic farm in Los Altos Hills, offers internships in animal husbandry and organic farming. Interns receive housing and a monthly stipend.
Pie Ranch’s Regenerator Program at Cascade Range in Pescadero helps new farmers develop their farm businesses, with a focus on supporting women, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and others who have historically been denied access to land. Through the program, early stage farmers receive access to land and equipment, mentorship, and support with sales, marketing, and financial and business planning.
For a longer list of beginner farmer training programs throughout the state, click here.
Cayce Hill, Emily Schwing and Luis Hernandez lead a staff of more than 20 people at Santa Clara County’s Veggielution farm.
Volunteer Opportunities
If you’re interested in farming, but not ready or able to commit to a training program, there are also volunteer opportunities that can introduce you to different aspects of operating a farm. Many nonprofit or educational farms and gardens welcome volunteers.
In the South San Francisco Bay Area, Veggielution and Taylor St. Farm located in San Jose, The Forge Garden in Santa Clara, and the Stanford Educational Farm in Palo Alto are just a few of the urban farms and gardens that provide volunteer opportunities. To find an urban farm near you, check out the Bay Area Urban Ag map.
California Climate Action Corps has volunteer opportunities across the state that allow you to work in a field you want to learn more about. Check out their list of current openings in agriculture, forestry, food systems, and more.
Mutsun Gardens - Amah Mutsun Land Trust provides volunteer opportunities for people interested in native, perennial plants and honoring & supporting the land stewardship of Native Americans.