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     The Farm & Garden Apprenticeship Program grows new farmers at the 25-acre teaching farm and 3-acre garden of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus.
     To make a secure online donation, please click the link, and type "Grow a Farmer" or "CASFS Apprenticeship" in the box allowing you to designate your gift (See "Other Area/Pledge Number" but don't worry about a pledge number).
     To mail in a donation or contact us:
     Grow a Farmer
     CASFS Farm, UCSC
     1156 High Street
     Santa Cruz, CA 95064
     Phone: (831) 459-3240
     Fax: (831) 459-2799
     E-mail: growafarmer@ucsc.edu
    Please make checks to the UCSC Foundation, with “Apprenticeship” in memo line.

Big News!

Tent cabins under construction
Photo courtesy of Don Burgett

On April 12th, the 2010 apprentices arrived to start their six-month residential training course. Here are their beautiful new cabins at the UCSC Farm! Many thanks to all our supporters and to Pacific Domes and Big Creek Lumber for their donations! See more photos on the Housing Update page.

We met our BIG goal for a $25,000 kitchen renovation. Photos and details to come. Thank you!

NEW LEAF MARKET COMMUNITY DAY: On Thursday, May 27, all FIVE stores in Santa Cruz county participated in Community Day. 5% of all profits go directly to the Grow a Farmer Campaign, and this year, they raised $6,079.32!

[Read more about the cabins' progress and the UCSC Farm & Garden at Tana Butler's "I Heart Farms" blog: "The Fruits of Our Labor." Tana is the secretary on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden, which helped raise nearly $400K for last year's "Grow a Farmer" campaign.]

Media

View a slideshow with narrative on the YouTube Grow a Farmer channel. Also check out the CASFS blog.

Help Cultivate the Next Generation of Organic Farmers & Gardeners
at the UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden

Grow a Farmer 2010: Darryl Wong
Photo courtesy of David Fenton

There’s a revolution underway as people across the country and around the world reject industrial food and farming in favor of local, organic, community-scale systems.

This revolution will succeed only if there are enough farmers with the training and knowledge to produce and market fresh, delicious organic food while caring for the land and community in which they work.

The "Grow a Farmer" Campaign is meeting that challenge head on by supporting the Apprenticeship Program at UC Santa Cruz. This internationally known program has trained more than 1,300 new organic farmers and gardeners over the last 42 years. Many of them have started their own training and apprenticeship programs on farms and at urban agriculture projects to share their knowledge. Demand for the Apprenticeship is at an all-time high: 187 applicants vying for 39 positions in the 2010 program. Learn how you can help support the Apprenticeship as we grow the next generation of farmers.

Read more about the "Grow a Farmer" Campaign.

Wish List for 2010
  • New Kubota tractor—$25,000 (with educator discount through C&N Tractors)
  • New mechanical spader—$10,500 (with educator discount from Ferrari tractor)
  • Vegetable packing shed (Veggie Shed) repairs—$3,000
  • Fruit tree spray rig (for approved organic sprays)—$1,500
  • Chadwick Garden irrigation system repairs—$2,000
  • Chadwick Garden deer fence, gate, and retaining wall repairs—$3,500
  • Chadwick Garden greenhouse repairs—$1,500
  • Farm Garden hoophouse construction—$1,700
  • Tractor/implement storage—$2,000
  • Chadwick main irrigation line tie in and repair—$40,000
 

Get Involved!Join Johnny's Selected Seeds, New Leaf Community Markets, Chef Cindy Pawlcyn and other top chefs, farm-to-fork restaurants, and other businesses in a national campaign to support the premier organic farmer training program in the country.

If you commit to a donation of $300 or more, we'll include your business in the list of campaign partners. Read more if you are a chef/restaurauteur or if you are a business owner.

Chefs & RestaurantsChefs & Restaurants.BusinessesDowntown busineses

We initiated the "Grow a Farmer" Campaign in 2009 to help fund permanent housing for apprentices taking part in the full-time organic farm and garden training program at UC Santa Cruz’s Farm & Garden. With the housing project near completion at the UCSC Farm, we’re now turning our fundraising efforts to much-needed program operating costs and moving ahead on long-deferred facility and farm equipment upgrades at the Farm & Garden.

Help us grow more farmers by supporting the Apprenticeship Program! The Apprenticeship self-generates most of its operating income through produce sales, plant sales, and program tuition and fees, but we depend on donations and grants to complete our annual budget.

Your donation will help us meet our operating expenses and ensure that this critical training program continues to thrive.

READ MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN.

 

UCSC Farm & Garden