Sustainable Vegetable Production Registered Apprenticeship

Host Farm Application

By participating in the Sustainable Vegetable Production Apprenticeship as a host farmer, you’ll retain or gain a reliable employee who is eager to learn and contribute to your business, while helping to advance an apprentice’s goals of joining you in the profession.

Apprentices are the employees of the farm. CEFS helps connect approved apprentices with approved host farms but we are not involved in hiring or employing apprentices on farms. Our role is to provide support for learning on and off farm to train the next generation of sustainable vegetable growers. Host farms are approved with a designated farm mentor. If the approved farm mentor leaves the farm, that farm is no longer an active host farm until the new farm mentor is approved for the apprenticeship program. For more details, read the “additional program benefits” section here.

To become a host farmer, please complete an application. We will contact you to set up a phone call and farm visit once your application is received.

Host Farm qualifications: 

• Operating a sustainable vegetable farm for a minimum of 3 years
• Grow diverse vegetable crops as a primary farm product
• Able to pay a full-time employee a minimum wage, which progressively increases over the course of the program
• Host farmers must:
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the program’s core vegetable farming competencies defined in the apprenticeship curriculum
  • Preferably have prior experience with interns or apprentices
  • Willingness to review apprentice competencies monthly
  • Willingness to meet and communicate with program coordinators on a regular and as needed basis
  • Willingness to complete pre and post program surveys

Some of the above requirements may be waived in unusual circumstances or with demonstrated skills outweighing a criterion that is unmet. Waiver of host farmer qualifications is subject to approval by the Sustainable Vegetable Registered Apprenticeship Advisory Committee.

Farmer Application Process

Step one: Apply

Complete your application here. We’ll arrange an interview and site visit so we can determine together if being a host farm is a good fit for you and the program.

Step two: Hire an apprentice

If approved, either a current or new employee can participate in the apprenticeship. We will share a list of approved apprentices. It’s up to you to arrange interviews with apprentices. We’ll provide you with contact information for apprentices looking for a host farm. You are an apprentice’s employer and thus, you determine best hiring and labor management practices. We do recommend an in-person, working interview and will wait to onboard an apprentice into the program until they’ve completed a probationary period as your employee.

Step three: Set your course.

Once you connect with an apprentice you’d like to work with or a current employee is accepted into the apprenticeship, we’ll work with you and the apprentice to onboard you into the program.

Rolling Approvals

Just because a farm is approved, does not guarantee a match with an apprentice. Getting approved means you can begin working with a registered apprentice if you hire one.