Our Urban Apprentice scheme

One of the key challenges facing us in terms of creating a re-localised food supply, is the lack of skilled growers. Our Urban Apprentice scheme attempts to address this in an urban context.

Growing Communities is helping to 'grow more growers' through our Urban Apprentice scheme. We take on two Urban Apprentices a year who spend a day a week working with Sara our grower receiving free training in organic growing.  Since the scheme started in several ex-Apprentices have gone on to set up food growing projects of their own.  Our current Urban Apprentices for 2010/11 are Ximena and Emma.  Our current grower,Sara Davies, started as an Urban Apprentice with us several years ago.

One of the aims of the scheme is to provide growers who will go on to take on one of our micro-sites that form part of our Patchwork Farm project.  Sophie Verhagen and Ida Fabrizio are now working on our new microsite at the Castle Climbing Centre producing salad leaves for the box scheme.

We usually advertise for Apprentices in February or March; please keep an eye on our website around that time if you are interested in applying.