Program Teaches Individuals the Basics of Growing for Market

OLATHE, Kan. -- As the Kansas City metro area’s appetite for local and sustainably-grown food grows, farmers and growers are in demand too. The Growing Growers Apprenticeship Program matches aspiring growers with local host farms where they gain work experience and training in the day-to-day operation of a small farm. Workshops, farm tours and written resources augment on-farm learning and connect apprentices to the resources and support of the small farm community. 

The primary focus of the program is organic vegetable production, but host farms are available in multiple counties in both Kansas and Missouri and raise everything from native fruits to dairy sheep to bees. Apprenticeships may be paid or volunteer, depending on the host farm.

Growing Growers began in 2004 as a joint project of K-State Research and Extension, the University of Missouri, the Kansas City Food Circle, the Kansas Rural Center and the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture. Now entering its seventh season, the program has begun to see its alumni return as host farmers who are eager to pass along the lessons they have learned. 

“Our apprentices have come from a variety of backgrounds,” said Laura Christensen, the program manager and an alumnus herself. 

“People sometimes think a farm apprentice must be a high school or college student, but many of our apprentices who have gone on to start their own farms are older and are at a place in their lives where they are ready to settle down and focus on building something real. Their apprenticeship connected them to resources, gave them practical experience with farm work and planning and helped them avoid common pitfalls.”

Experience with farming or gardening is not necessary to participate, but Christensen notifies all apprentices that they should expect some long hours and hard work in the field.

“If you want to learn about farming, you need to know about the work involved.”

Tuition for the 2010 apprenticeship program is $300.00 and includes books, training and all workshops and farm tours. The application deadline is March 10, but early application is strongly encouraged. An application form and more information can be found at www.growinggrowers.org.

More information is also available by contacting Christensen at growers@ksu.edu or (816) 805-0362.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by: Mary Lou Peter
mlpeter@ksu.edu
K-State Research & Extension News

Laura Christensen – 816-805-0362 or growers@ksu.edu