Released: January 21, 2005

Growing Growers Program Starting ‘05 Apprenticeships

OLATHE, Kan. – The job description doesn’t promise a rose garden: “Must be willing to work hard under often-stressful conditions. Must be open to a way of life that is not necessarily financially rewarding, but is rewarding in other ways.”

The job itself, however, could actually be inside a flower garden. It’s the apprenticeship segment of the Growing Growers training program. It offers future farmers the chance to learn about sustainable and organic market gardening by doing it – as well as studying it – from planting to sales. Host farms may produce anything from pick-your-own strawberries to cut flowers.

The Growing Growers Web site (http://www.growinggrowers.org/) already lists 16 Kansas City area farms willing to take an apprentice on a paid and/or volunteer basis this year. Some of the sites that will pay are also offering room and board, said Ted Carey, program coordinator and a Kansas State University Research and Extension horticulturist.

Growing Growers’ ultimate goal is to improve the quantity and quality of produce grown locally in the Kansas City area, he said.

The program now is taking apprentice applications for the 2005 growing season. More information and the application form are available by accessing the program’s Web site or by contacting program manager Katherine Kelly at 913-488-1270 (e-mail: growers@ksu.edu).

The two apprenticeship options include:

* Working a minimum 20 hours a week for regular wages.

* Working a minimum four hours a week as a volunteer.

“Either approach is guaranteed one-on-one training from the host farmer. Apprentices also get free admission to Growing Growers’ monthly training sessions and tours on such topics as Midwestern soils, weed management and planning for vegetable production,” Kelly said. “Those sessions have been good enough to also attract experienced growers, interested in honing their skills or expanding their knowledge base.”

During 2004, its first full year of operations, the program placed 12 apprentices on eight host farms – twice its goal.

“I loved working with my apprentice last year and hope next year will be just as rewarding,” said Nancy Kalman, whose 10-acre Pickings and Pumpkins farm produces both plants and animals that are pesticide-free.

“We work very hard to find sincere apprentice candidates and to match them successfully with a host farm,” Kelly said.

Program staff meet personally with each applicant, she added. They then direct the applicant to possible host farms. Each host decides which applicant(s) he or she wants. Then the Growing Growers advisory board reviews and decides on the combinations.

“Our staff is also there to help if any disagreements arise later between host and apprentice,” Kelly said. “We want everyone to come out of the growing season feeling successful.”

The Growing Growers program is a cooperative effort of Kansas State University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, the Kansas Rural Center and the Kansas City Food Circle (a community organization).

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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:
Kathleen Ward
kward@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News