New Programs for 2009!

The Organic Growers School is proud to announce two new programs for 2009!

CRAFT-WNC Farmer Training Initiative (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) is a coordinated effort to bring established farmers and students of farming together to work, teach, and learn. Member farmers and their apprentices will attend workshops on area farms, participate in work exchanges, and enjoy social events. The program will give established sustainable farmers in our region a voice in the training of future farmers, as curriculum will be established and taught by the farmer members themselves. Another goal of the program is to attract serious aspiring farmers to farms in our region to provide dependable labor. For more information, or to join as a farmer or a student, click here. Please note: classes are also open to non farming parties, for an additional fee.

NC Apprentice Link is an online database of farms seeking dependable labor, and an apprentice application program. Farmers can create a profile for potential apprentices to view. Apprentices, when searching for farm work in NC, can  view farmer profiles on our site, fill out an application, and list their top five choices. Then, our office will match interns with farmers. This service is designed to provide an initial screening of interested interns so that farmers can save some time and skip to interviews or farm visits, if possible. NC Apprentice Link is also a way to aid serious farm apprentices in their search for solid, educational training on established sustainable farms in NC. Best of all, the service is free to farm members of our CRAFT-WNC Farmer Training Initiative. To learn more, create a farmer profile, or to view an apprentice application, click here.