We Grow Farmers
There’s a little dirt inside all of us. Dig yours out in the California Farm Academy.
Whether you’re purchasing your first shovel or looking to expand a thriving enterprise, the California Farm Academy can help you plow ahead smarter and faster.
The Explorer Course
Next session:
October 17, 18, 19 from 9am-4:30pm & November 2, 2024 from 9am-12pm
The Explorer Course is designed to orient the farm-curious to the realities of cultivation, animal husbandry, and entrepreneurship. The 4-day crash course will help you decide whether starting an agricultural business is realistic for you and how to take practical next steps. Down-and-dirty farming experience and a field trip are included. Participants who decide to take the plunge can graduate into the Beginning Farmer Training Program and continue their farming journey.
The Beginning Farmer Training Program
The 2025 Beginning Farmer Training Program will include a slate of intensive hands-on courses on topics from business planning and financials to irrigation and animal husbandry. Pick and choose which topics you want to dig into or take them all for a holistic curriculum that will prepare you for a future in agriculture. More details will be available in early October.
Farm Business Incubator
The California Farm Academy Farm Business Incubator supports beginning farmers by providing access to land, infrastructure, and ongoing training. Our farmers initiate their farm enterprises, experiment with production techniques, and develop markets. They refine their business plans with support from mentors on staff and in the community. Plots of land from one-quarter acre or more, as well as greenhouse and cooler space on some sites, can be leased on an annual basis. Participants exit the program with confidence, experience, knowledge, and a higher chance of success. Contact us to inquire about low cost land leases in Yolo County.
Apprenticeships
Reach your peak faster in partnership with the California Farm Academy Apprenticeship Program. By training aspiring farm managers and working directly with enterprises looking to hire, CLBL addresses California’s workforce shortage with a closed-loop model that’s good for people and profit.
The Apprenticeship Program is a formal apprenticeship registered with the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards that combines paid, on-the-job training with job-related instruction. Our trainers shepherd high-capacity farmworkers up their career ladder by providing practical experience, valuable skills, mentorship, and an industry-recognized credential. The program lasts approximately two years, and upon completion of the program, the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards graduates apprentices to a Journeyman level in the occupation of a Beginning Farm and Ranch Manager.
