Program Overview
The Beginning Farmer Training Program provides aspiring farmers a strong foundation from which to launch and grow their farm businesses. In this immersive educational program, students have the opportunity to gain farm production and business knowledge in a variety of settings that appeal to different learning styles. Throughout their time in the Training Program, the next generation of motivated, hard-working farm entrepreneurs gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to begin working towards their farming goals.
Classes & Curriculum
Curriculum combines lectures by farmers and agricultural professionals, hands-on field experience, and farm visits to expose students to topics critical for a future in farming.
In 2025, the Training Program will include a slate of intensive hands-on courses on topics from business planning and financials to irrigation and animal husbandry. Students can pick and choose which topics they want to dig into or take them all for a holistic curriculum that will prepare them for a future in agriculture.
DATES & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Classes will begin in late January, 2025 and applications will be available in October, 2024
California Farm Academy Apprenticeship Program
The California Farm Academy Apprenticeship Program prepares individuals for key farm management positions by providing practical experience, valuable skills, connections to farmer mentors, and an industry-recognized credential. We connect aspiring farm managers with established farmers who provide a space and opportunity to develop and practice the skills needed for a career in farm management. Apprentices can also be existing employees that farmers have identified as a future manager. For these apprentices, the program provides a structured pathway for knowledge, skill, and leadership development to take on a new role on the farm.
How it Works
The Apprenticeship Program combines paid on-the-job training with job-related coursework. The program lasts approximately two years, and upon completion of the Program, the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards graduates apprentices to a Journeyman level in the occupation of a Beginning Farm and Ranch Manager. Apprentices complete 3,000 hours of paid, on-the-job training by working on a production farm with a farm employer. On-the-job training takes place on diverse commercial production farms across California ranging in size from 2 acres to 4,000 acres, and including both organic and conventional practices. Apprentices will also complete a minimum of 250 hours in coursework over those two years. Coursework is completed in a hybrid format which does require travel to our Woodland, California headquarters location.
For more information on the Apprenticeship Program, please contact us.
Testimonial
Equipping Youth
The Urban Ag Internship has been transformative, teaching me practical skills while fostering a sense of community with the people I work with. I’m grateful for the support and opportunities it has provided as I’m able to learn day by day and meet great people along the way.
Sending Enrique, one of our most respected employees, through the Apprenticeship Program was one of the best decisions for our farm. Enrique not only learned new techniques and grew his personal network that he still uses today, more importantly, he built up his confidence in himself. He learned how to question the status quo and find ways to make influential changes on our farm. Through his experience in the Apprenticeship Program, he has become an invaluable manager on our farm managing our shop. This program doesn’t just train future farmers, it builds stronger, more innovative agricultural leaders.
The Explorer Course did not shy away from sharing the risks, challenges, and hardships that small farmers face, and it was designed to really make us think about our values and goals and where we wanted to take our farm journey, whether that was moving on to start a farm business, work on a farm, or be involved with farming in some other way. Every risk, every challenge, every opportunity that we discussed in class really sparked my interest and I came to realize that, yes, that is what I want for my life, and ultimately it led me to continue my farm journey with CLBL.
