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At the Organic Farm School, we give aspiring farmers a strong foundation in a broad range of skills so they can achieve their unique farm goals.
Empowering new farmers takes a lot of resources—from land and farm equipment to classroom space and staff, just to name the essentials!
With more than half of all US farmers 55+ years old and with 91 million acres of farmland needing to be transitioned to new farmers in the next five years, helping new farmers is vital to ensuring that our food system develops sustainably into the future.
We're hoping you see yourself as part of the future of food and farming, and that you'll be inspired to make a microgift this week. Your contributions are an investment in a resilient and accessible food system. Thank you!
We believe that organic farming is more than a job – it’s a lifestyle, a mission, and a journey all in one. And while it may be one of the more challenging careers to enter, we believe the rewards are worth it.
Organic farmers usually share one thing in common – strong values. The aspiring farmers that come to the Organic Farm School want to work outdoors and be inspired by their career as much as they want to serve their communities through healthy food and to help heal the earth. Organic farming is a respectable livelihood that can fulfill these dreams but only if it’s done with planning and preparation. It takes much more than a desire to grow food and a willingness to work hard… it also takes accepting that farms are small businesses and being willing to research, plan and experiment in finding the right markets, crops, scale and strategies that can bring real sustainability… socially, ecologically, and financially.
Becoming a successful organic farmer today takes a wide variety of skills—from soil management and seed production to marketing and business planning.
The Organic Farm School works to prepare its students for success, instilling a holistic perspective on what it takes to successfully start and manage a small-scale (5-20 acre) commercial organic farm from the field tasks of tillage, planting, and harvesting to the office tasks of crop planning, marketing, and financial management. While we know that not every graduate will choose to work at this scale, understanding this spectrum of tasks that farmers engage in helps our students get a jumpstart on both clarifying and realizing their farming dreams.
As a learning center, the Organic Farm School trains new farmers to develop and manage small farms focused on ecological, economic, and social regeneration — simultaneously offering opportunities for our community and others to learn about their role in strengthening local/regional food systems.
Through its mission, the Organic Farm School is committed to training new farmers and strengthening the food system for an inclusive community where all people — of every color, ethnicity, faith, gender identity, background, and economic circumstance — are supported and celebrated.
Other benefits of our school setting include:
Each year we receive inquiries and applications from students for whom the cost of attendance is prohibitive. Since we believe every aspiring farmer deserves a chance to reach their goals, we offer several scholarships to promising students in need every year. We also offer funds to support their on-site housing living expenses — especially as such costs are spiraling all across the country. Please consider supporting these future farmers through a gift at 52andChange this week!
Would you give $4 a month to support four nonprofits that are making a big difference? Join forces with other 52andChangmakers to automatically give to every Cause of the Week. Every Monday, you’ll wake up knowing you’ve already made a difference! As our community grows, so does the impact!
Together we’ve become volunteers in places we would have never expected, planted milkweed for butterflies, provided books to kids in need, helped save endangered turtles, helped turn excess food into nutrition, helped bring art to youth, educated one another about how we are connected to our delicate food systems, helped save abandoned horses and given old dogs new hope, watched foster youth shine in the spotlight of movie making, helped clean tires out of rivers… we could go on and on and on. It is an absolute joy to be a part of such an amazing network of humans making a difference.
“ALMA reconnects the lives of the formerly incarcerated back to the fabric of society. Our participants have the chance at attaining gainful employment and becoming self-sufficient. Urban Farming helps everyone involved explore the relationships between plants, animals and humans as a way of creating a profound connection to both nature and their community.” - ALMA Backyard Farms
While we’re writing this and you’re reading it, Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes is out there, finding ways to provide food to more people in need throughout Santa Cruz County, where one of three residents are reported to be food insecure.
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