Interested in being an apprentice?

The best way to learn about farming is from  farmers.  Hands-on  experience combined with reading, classes, and informal training will help you decide if farming is a good fit for you, and will help give you the basics you need to get started.  Growing Growers apprentices need not have experience in agriculture, but you must have a willingness to work hard and to learn while you do. 

Growing Growers Apprentices work on local, sustainably run farms where they experience the day to day operation of the farm. 

Field work is a large component of the apprenticeship, because it is also a large component of farming.  Some farms also include apprentices in their marketing and sales (farmers market, CSA packaging or delivery, restaurant sales, etc.).

Workshops are held monthly, March through November, and cover topics relevant to sustainable farming. A list of workshops can be found here.  These workshops include presentations by local farmers, extensions agents and other experts.   Over the course of the season, workshops introduce ideas that help apprentices learn not only about growing food, but about how to plan a basic farm business. 

Apprentices are required to attend 7 core workshops and at least 2 other Growing Growers elective workshops, agricultural conferences or professional meetings. These electives allow apprentices to explore specific interests that may not be part of the core workshops. 

Workshops move around the metro area and almost always involve a farm tour.  Apprentices need to cover the cost of driving to workshops that may be as far as two hours away from their host farm. 

One-on-One Training.  In addition to training during the course of the work day, apprentices receive 8-10 hours of focused, specific training from their host farmer(s).  This training is a way for host farmers to share the specifics of their farm with apprentices. Topics can include anything from budgetting to beekeeping.

Books and Informational Materials are handed out over the course of the season and cover business planning, equipment, soils, pests and disease management and other topics relevant to start-up growers.

Apprentices Guidelines:

·        Paid Apprenticeships:  There are a limited number of paid positions open on local host farms (see “Host Farm List” page).  Paid apprentices will work a minimum of 20 hours a week on a local farm.

·        Volunteer Apprenticeships:  There are a number of volunteer apprenticeship positions that require a minimum of 4 hours a week volunteer time. 

We select apprentices by the end of March.  Apprenticeships generally begin in March and April and run through October, depending on the host farm’s needs.

 In 2008, we will charge a non-refundable training fee of $300.  A limited number of scholarships are available.

HOW DO YOU BECOME AN APPRENTICE?

We have a limited number of apprenticeship positions available in 2008 and the first workshop will be in March, so getting your apprenticeship arranged as soon as possible is important.  The application deadline is March 1^st, 2008.  We select apprentices by the middle of March.  Apprenticeships generally begin in March or April and run through October, depending on the host farm’s needs.

Step One:  Contact Laura Christensen by email, growers@ksu.edu.  Let her know what you are interested in, what your goals are, and how an apprenticeship will fit into your life in 2008.  She will then direct you to possible host farms.

Step Two:  Complete the Apprenticeship Application Form and mail it in with the $25 application fee. 

Step Three:  Contact possible Host Farms to set up interviews.  In order to be an apprentice, you need to find a Host Farm willing to hire you as a paid apprentice or a volunteer apprentice for the season.  We encourage you to interview with 2-3 possible Host Farms.  Every operation is different and you need to find a good match.  If you aren’t being successful in finding a Host Farm, email or call Laura and she’ll work with you to try to find a good situation for you. 

Step Four:  Once you have a host farm willing to hire you for the season, let Laura know.  She will take the match to the Advisory Board for approval. 

Step Five:  If you are accepted by the Advisory Board as an apprentice, you will need to pay for the $300 non-refundable tuition.  If you need to work out a payment plan with us, please contact us to set up something that will be manageable for you.  A limited number of scholarships are also available.

Step Six:  Once accepted, figure out your work schedule with your Host Farm; put the monthly workshops in your calendar; budget for gas costs to/from the workshops; schedule the one-on-one trainings with your host farmer.

If you aren’t accepted as an Apprentice for the 2008 season:  You should work with your chosen farm anyway.  You can attend workshops by paying the regular workshop fees (generally between $15 and $35, depending on the length of the workshop.)  Books can be purchased through Growing Growers at the workshops.  We want to support you in your interest in local farming, but we have limited funds and workshop positions available; if paying for the workshops is a problem, we offer reduced and no-cost scholarships to individual workshops, please ask.

Laura Christensen is the Program Manager for Growing Growers, she can be contacted at growers@ksu.edu or at (816) 805-0362.