About Us: The Grange Farm School works to improve agricultural literacy, food security, and ecological stewardship in our community and beyond. Our flagship project offers trainings that cover diverse methods of holistic crop and livestock production for aspiring farmers, home scale producers, and youth. We provide hands-on experience and education to train the next generation of responsible farmers, the crucial and severely lacking element to sustainability. Our school trains the whole farmer by teaching holistic agricultural production methods coupled with industrial arts, business, and marketing skills. We recognize the immediate need to train farmers to support themselves through economically viable farm operations balanced with a focus on production and distribution methods that emphasize long-term environmental responsibility.
Apply Now: There are still openings in the 2015 Grange Farm School Practicum Student Program, a 3-month residential program for aspiring farmers. The next session starts June 1st and will give students the opportunity to plant out our large market garden, work with urban gardeners in nearby Ukiah to grow seedlings to size, and see the garden through its first months of growth. Field work is complemented by classroom work on topics from plant propagation to composting, raising chickens for eggs and meat to marketing and business skills. Field work will also focus on irrigation systems and the timing of planting for fall and winter harvests. During the next session, September 1 through the end of November, students will take part in harvesting, processing and marketing produce and orchard fruit, as well as cover cropping and putting much of the garden to bed for the winter.
The Grange Farm School’s Practicum Student Program aims to prepare the whole farmer, with a curriculum covering agricultural production skills, industrial arts, marketing and business skills essential to a profitable farm. Practicum Students earn college credits for internships through Mendocino College, and have the option to live on site. They may enroll in a second session, during which independent work on a Capstone Project will be a central part of the curriculum.
Students accepted to this year’s program will have the unique opportunity to participate in the start-up phases of a working farm and non-profit educational project. The work completed by students will provide in depth and experiential knowledge of the challenges that go into creating a new farm from scratch. Students will help operate a 2 acre market garden, tend both layer and broiler chickens, install irrigation systems, and more. Other significant tasks will include building some of the infrastructure for the school, including student facilities, a tractor shed, and a hoop house.
Field trips to neighboring farms on some weekends will be an important component of the curriculum. Students are required to participate in all phases of the program, including shifts at weekend chores, shared kitchen and other housekeeping duties, and a monthly weekend field trip. Concurrent enrollment in Work Experience Education program with Mendocino College or a similar program is required. The Farm will cover registration costs at Mendocino College.
Tuition is $2,000 per 3-month term, and many scholarships are available. Students have the option to live on-site for $1,000 per 3-month term. Housing includes a shared kitchen, bath, library, and commons. Students are provided with individual sleeping space in wall tents on platforms surrounding the house. Food will include basic staples and farm goods for three meals per day. Cooking and cleaning chores will be shared.
Curriculum: Focused lesson time will be offered to students to complement field based learning. Curriculum for lessons will cover diverse topics such as:
Farm and garden design Plant propagation Tool use and safety Plant nutrition Raising chickens Crop rotation Composting Cover crops Pest management Soil science Irrigation Farm Finances/marketing Alternative Energy Sources
Projects will vary by season: Spring students will focus on planning and planting, Summer students will focus on irrigation and planting, Fall students will build the hoop house and preserve the bounty of harvest. This list is only a small sampling of upcoming projects.
Capstone Projects: After one 3-month term of foundational learning, students have the option to apply for a second or third term and to develop their individual Capstone Project. These projects allow students to focus on areas of individual interest and guide their own learning. We provide a space for a wide range of independent projects, and we are excited to hear proposals from students who are curious self-starters. Examples of potential projects include:
– Plan and construct vermicomposting system – Build a solar powered dehydrator – Design and plant a cut flower garden – Build bicycle powered processing equipment such as root washer or chicken plucker
There are still openings for the 2015 Practicum Student Program!! https://grangefarmschool.wordpress.com/apply-now/applcation2015-juneterm/
