Organic farming/gardening apprenticeships at UC Santa Cruz

Applications for the 2006 six-month organic gardening/farming Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at UC Santa Cruz's Center for Agroecology are due September 1, 2005 for international applicants and November 1, 2005 for U.S. and Canadian applicants. The 2006 full-time apprenticeship program is from April 10-October 13, 2006.

The program provides training in the concepts and practices of organic gardening and small-scale farming and takes place at the Center's 25-acre farm and three-acre Alan Chadwick Garden on the UCSC campus. Topics covered include soil management, composting, pest control, crop planning, irrigation, farm equipment, marketing techniques, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) practices.

Run in conjunction with UCSC Extension, the apprenticeship course carries 20 units of Extension credit for the approximately 300 hours of classroom instruction and 700 hours of in-field training and hands-on experience in the greenhouses, gardens, orchards, and fields. Tuition for the six-month course is $3,250, with some scholarships available.

For more information, see the online application at www.ucsc.edu/casfs or contact Apprenticeship Information, CASFS, UCSC, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 95064; apprenticeship@ucsc.edu; or 831-459-3240.