apprentice graduates

Click the tab to expand the information. See our graduate names and host farms all the way from 2004!
2004-2007
2004
2005
APPRENTICES
Michael Bates
Kim Bledsoe
Jerry Botts
Hilary Brown
Tara Bolles
Erich Buer
Denise Canfield
Ryan Courtright
Morgan Deramus
Eric Finney
Richard Glossip
Sarah Hail
Anna Kern
Chris Thomas​
HOST FARM
Doolittle Farm
Pickings n Pumpkins
Wakarusa Farm
KCCF
Wakarusa Farm
Wakarusa Farm
Bear Creek Farm
Full Moon Farm
Pickings n Pumpkins
Wakarusa Farm
Conway's Produce
Bear Creek Farm
Sandheron Farm
KCCF
*KCCF = Kansas City Community Farm













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APPRENTICES
Mary Bach-Jackson
Regina Baker
Barnett, Megan
Burrell, Justin
Christensen, Laura
Claudia Corson
Scott Cumming
Martha Gronniger
Maiya Hensen
Amy Inch
Andrea Jones
Elizabeth Kelderhouse
Gilda Kneitz
Julie Koppen
Aaron Marable
Kathy Mesa
Lani Meyer
Elizabeth Mueller
Rachel Myers
Sarah Prentice
Gaspar Raj
Anna Ramey
Brooke Rieman
April Sweeney
Stephanie Thomas
Diane Walker
Erica Wright
Mary Wright​
HOST FARM
Kaiahua Farm
Kaiahua Farm
Drumm Farm
Kaiahua Farm
KC Community Farm
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KC Community Farm
Prairie Birthday
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Shiloh Gardens
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KC Community Farm
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KC Community Farm
Kaiahua Farm
Kaiahua Farm
Kaiahua Farm
2006
APPRENTICES
Jessi Asmussen
Tom Buller
Julie Coon
Nicole DeJarnett
Christine Germann
Brandi Minton
Libby Negus
Brian Peterson
Joseph Puglisi
Brenda Raygor
Tim Ross
Pam Saylor
Kylie Jo Neal 
Crystal Pascacio
Kevin Dunn
Erin Gonseth
Emilie Mutert 
Chad Bristow
Maria Whitaker
Cheryl Mueller
Noel Jones
Jennifer Kerle
Wayne Berry
Mari McElyea​
HOST FARM
Sandheron Farm
Wakarusa Farm
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Bear Creek Farm
Pearly Gates Organic Gardens
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Fair Share Farm
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Kansas City Community Farm
Fair Share Farm
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Rainbow Soul and Soil
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Kansas City Community Farm
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2007
APPRENTICES
Sandy Foster
David Foster
Libby Negus
Becki Weber
Jessica Pierson
Christine Richardson
Mae Rose Petrehn
Ralph Thomlinson
Margaret Gronniger
Alex Wood​
HOST FARM
Drumm Farm
Drumm Farm
Fair Share Farm
KC Community Farm
Moon on the Meadow
Pickings and Pumpkins
Pinwheel Farm
Spring Creek Farm
Pinwheel Farm
Wood Mood Farm













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2008-2011
2008
2009
APPRENTICES
Jennifer Baughman
Jeff Hunter
Jessica Baker
Elesha Bettinger
Lorne Carroll
Jessica Layton
Wade Myslivy
Jake Johannes
Jenna Wilkins
Heidi Holliday
Anna Weaverdyck
Steven Maitland
Kathi Whitman
Sarah Shmigelsky​
HOST FARM
Fair Share Farm
Fair Share Farm
Troostwood Farm
Pinwheel Farm
Fair Share Farm
Pinwheel Farm
Hoyland Farm
KCCF
KCCF
Moon On the Meadow 
Spring Creek Farm
Bear Creek Farm
Prairie Birthday Farm
KCCF
*KCCF = Kansas City Community Farm
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APPRENTICES
Sarah Arendale
Brandon Baltzell
Audrey Coleman
Craig Comstock
Kim Crowley
Melissa Forester
Kevin Freeman
Frances Freeman
Tim Graham
Liberty Hunter
Kara Jennings
Cindy Long
Leslie Touzeau
Blake Wilson
Shari Wilson​
HOST FARM
​Foxfire Farm
Spring Creek Farm
Spring Creek Farm
Hoyland Farm
KC Community Farm
Sandheron Farm
Foxfire Farm
Foxfire Farm
Kurlbaums Farm
KC Community Farm
Fair Share Farm
KC Community Farm
KC Community Farm
KC Community Farm
KC Community Farm
2010
APPRENTICES
Elise Blanc
Tracey Cheuvront
Eloise Daniel
Jessie Duquette
Nicholas Kotlinski
Emily Lecuyer
Matt Maes
Neil Rudisill
Joanna Sabally
Blain Snipstal
Les Stitt
Ben Storey
Bobby Wright​
Katherine Loeck
HOST FARM
Drumm Farm
KCCUA
KCCUA
Green Dirt / Maggies Farm
Moon on the Meadow
Fair Share Farm
Fair Share Farm
KCCUA
KCCUA
Moon on the Meadow
KCCUA
Pearly Gates Organic 
KCCUA
​KCCUA
*KCCUA= KC Center for Urban Agriculture
2011
APPRENTICES
Lucas Knutter
Jessie Wiard
Sarah Dehart
Melissa Armstrong
Alison Cain
Kelley Rushing
Chris Kramer
Colby Fuller
Debby Gupta
Dana Manda
David Manda
Kate Johnson
Mark Ruzicka
Mariah Friend​
HOST FARM
Fair Share Farm
KC Community Farm
KC Community Farm
KC Community Farm
Maggies Farm
Mellowfields Farm
Moon on the Meadow
Moon on the Meadow
Prairie Birthday
Spring Creek Farm
Spring Creek Farm
Spring Creek Farm
Urbavore Urban Farm
KC Community Farm
2012-2015
2012
​APPRENTICES
Rion Glynn
Dani Hurst
Cara Lawrence
Chris Wittrock
Lydia Gibson
Justin Mitchell
Benjamin Haring
Kaitlin Emig​
HOST FARM
Spring Creek Farm
Fair Share Farm
Gibbs Road Farm
Moon on the Meadow
Pinwheel Farm
Kansas City Community Farm
Pinwheel Farm
Moon on the Meadow
2013
​APPRENTICES
Sarah Graham
Brady Karlin
Marie Byleen​




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HOST FARM
KC Community Farm
KC Community Farm
Moon on the Meadow
2014
APPRENTICES
​Emily Lundberg
Bonnie Clay      
Betsy Thomas
Tayler Blodgett  
Wendy Groebe
Ami Freeberg  
Tonia Barksdale
Mac Diaz         
Dustin Bergman
​Ashley Lewis  
John Irle     
HOST FARM
Maggie’s Farm
Urban Soul & Soil
Red Ridge Farm
Maggie’s Farm
Gibbs Road Farm
Blue Door Farm
Powell Gardens
Red Ridge Farm
Fair Share Farm
Spring Creek Farm
Fair Share Farm
2015
APPRENTICES
Ellis Flint
Anna Wiatr 
Kara Kriegshauser
Kaitlyn McKissick
Misty Ballew
Semra Fetahovic
Megan McQueen
Devin Gerling
Nicole Deister
Desiree Pinder
Craig Marcklinger
HOST FARM
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Gibbs Road Farm
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Common Harvest Farm
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Fair Share Farm
Fair Share Farm
Spring Creek Farm
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Gibbs Road Farm
Gibbs Road Farm
2016-2019
​2016
APPRENTICES
Jeramie Edmisten
Larry Lehman  
Kimberly Hunter 
Karen Steinlage
HOST FARM
Pendleton's County Market     Blue Door Farm
Fair Share Farm
Fair Share Farm
2017 
APPRENTICES
Brendan McCluskey
Heather Wilson
​Heather Cook
HOST FARM
Fair Share Farm/Prairie Birthday
Powell Gardens
​Moon on the Meadow
​2018
APPRENTICES
Sharon Autry
​Todd Kissell
​Susan Welsh
HOST FARM
Moon on the Meadow
Prairie Birthday Farm LLC
​Sacred Sun Cooperative Farm
​2019
APPRENTICES
Abbey Haines
Edgar Romero​
HOST FARM
​Two Birds Farm
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2020
2020 (GRADUATION ESTIMATED FOR 08/2020)
APPRENTICES
Amanda Janes
Brooke Luebbering
Felix Ceradsky
Elizabeth Barnet
Kelsey Leimer
Jessica Fussell
HOST FARM
​Two Birds Farm
Urbavore Urban Farm
Moon on the Meadow
Fair Share Farm
Woodland City KC
​Pinwheel Farm

where are they now?

Two BIRds farm

Former 2005 apprentice Laura Christensen started 2 Birds Farm (formerly Blue Door Farm) in Kansas City, KS. She apprenticed at KC Community Farm and is now a host farmer herself who has trained several Growing Growers apprentices! Click the button below to learn more about apprenticing with Laura.

Mellowfields Urban farm

Former 2006 apprentice Jessi Asmussen started Mellowfields Urban Farm in Lawrence, KS. She apprenticed at Sandheron Farm and is now a host farmer herself! In addition to selling at various markets, she also co-runs the Common Harvest CSA. Click the button below to learn more about apprenticing with Jessi.

Woodland City KC

Former 2010 apprentice Neil Rudisill started Woodland City KC in Kansas City, MO in the middle of the Ivanhoe neighborhood. He apprenticed at KC Center for Urban Agriculture and is now a host farmer! Click the button below to learn more about apprenticing with Neil.

SACRED SUN COOPERATIVE FARM

Former 2008 apprentice Jake Johannes started Sacred Sun Cooperative Farm in Perry, KS which has grown into a 100-acre organic farming community. He apprenticed at Kansas City Community Farm and is now a host farmer! Click the button below to learn more about apprenticing with Jake.

Roots, Fruits & greens Farm

Former 2011 apprentice Kate Johnson started Roots, Fruits & Greens Farm in Easton, KS where she grows mainly for restaurants. She apprenticed at Spring Creek Farm in Baldwin City, KS before deciding to start a farm of her own. Check out photos of her farm on Instagram @rfgfarm.

Backbone farm

Former 2010 apprentice, Katherine (Loeck) Carestio started Backbone Farm in upstate New York in 2018 with her husband, Jamie. Kat apprenticed at KC Center for Urban Agriculture (now Gibbs Road Farm). She was recently featured in an article by Greenstar Cooperative for her 67-acre farm adjacent to the Finger Lakes National Forest where she raises grass-fed beef.

NEW ROOTS FOR REFUGEES

Former 2015 apprentice, Semra Fetahovic once apprenticed at Fair Share Farm and now works for Cultivate KC co-managing the New Roots for Refugees program. Her duties include assisting the refugee farmers on-site and ensuring smooth operation of the Juniper Gardens Training Farm.

PREVIOUS APPRENTICE Testimonies

Chris Dalton
Happy Rock Farm
Gladstone, MO
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"The wealth of information that I have gleaned from the series is invaluable to my pursuit in becoming a first class Urban Farmer. I have learned so many things related to this pursuit that are not readily available in other informational forums."

Bobbi Walker
PlayHaven Farm LLC
​napoleon, mo


​"I've learned SO much going through the Growing Growers program!  Not only did I get great information and resources, the workshops helped me figure out what I DON'T want to do on my farm."

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Jenna Wilkins
KC community farm
Kansas City, MO​
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"Growing Growers gave me valuable first hand experience and put me in contact with helpful people and resources in the area that I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. "

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GRADUATION

Every year Growing Growers holds a graduation ceremony at the K-State Olathe Horticulture Center during their Commercial Vegetable Field Day held every August. At this event apprentices are recognized for their hard work and accomplishments when they successfully finish the program!
Photos courtesy of K-State Olathe Horticulture Center