Growing Urban Farmers
Growing Urban Farmers
Dreaming of becoming an urban farmer? We offer a 12-week program as an introduction to urban farming, which is open to anyone over 18 years old. Scheduled to accommodate farming curious students who are interested in growing food as a career, this course helps students gain a full understanding of what is entailed in professional farming and to learn basic agricultural skills–especially those unique to the Gulf Coast. Twenty hours per week is spent in a combination of formal instruction, field trips and field study sessions, learning the basics of an urban food growing operation.
Participants will acquire the knowledge, basic skills and awareness of horticultural proficiencies and resources required to pursue urban farming as a viable career option or to scale their home garden to provide more food for their family.
Graduates of Growing Urban Farmers may also secure specialty certifications in one of the many in-depth Master Classes offered at Hope Farms, ranging from building a business plan to poultry and egg production to fruit tree management. Typically offered in the summer and winter seasons, a schedule of advanced certification classes and fees is published each summer.
Classes for registered Growing Urban Farmer students begin annually on the first Monday of March. Applications are considered on a first-come basis. A non-refundable Application Fee of $100 is required to hold your space. The application fee will be applied towards tuition. Tuition is $2,400 and is payable before classes begin. Tuition assistance may be available in the form of a work-study structure, which allows students to “work off” upto 50% of their tuition at a rate of $10 per hour. Work-study credits toward tuition must be earned at least 2 weeks before taking the classes they pay for. Our work-study program requires a separate application and is made available upon request. Work study positions are limited and not guaranteed to all who request them. All work-study applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by February 15.
