Los Angeles
Farmer Training Program
Los Angeles County's only Farmer Training Program.
Learn to grow at our community farm in Pomona CA.
Hands-on Learning @ Sarvodaya Farms
At Sarvodaya Farms in Pomona, CA, we offer Farmer Training Programs for anyone interested in learning how to care for soil, raise and care for plants, and grow food at home.
These programs are NOT volunteer programs. We do not accept volunteers at our farm outside of our monthly Volunteer Day.
These programs are only for those that value the knowledge we offer.
Sarvodaya's Farmer Training Program encourages the participation of people of all backgrounds. Our program centers the participation and leadership of people of color, women, non-binary people, and historically marginalized groups.
What We Offer
At Sarvodaya Farms, we care for over half an acre of fruit trees, CA native plants, fruiting bushes, vegetable fields, and a large & diverse stock of nursery plants. Our training program offers an opportunity for you to be part of the care and nourishment of our farm, and learn in the process from our experienced farmers.
Through our program you will learn:
- Soil care and management
- Irrigation maintenance
- Seed starting and plant propagation
- Plant care and farm management
- Vegetable and fruit harvest
- Much more than we have time to list here
Participants in our program learn hands-on skills under the guidance of our farmers, and continue learning at home with online lessons that supplement learning that happens on the farm.
We offer two programs: Introductory Farmer Training and Advanced Farmer Training. Please see the details for each program below.
Introductory Farmer Training Program
(Certificate optional)
Our Introductory Farmer Training Program is a flexible, accessible program that balances hands-on training guided by our farmers with supplement online learning.
This job training program is designed to give trainees an intermediate level of urban gardening and farming knowledge that can translate into real world practice and work. Trainees will learn skills from and be introduced to various trades within the urban farming world from nursery propagation to growing food to CA native landscaping.
This program requires:
- 16 week commitment, attending a minimum of 1 day per week for 5 hours per day
- Monthly financial contribution, commensurate with your income or financial means
- Trainees to provide their own hand tools
- Monthly financial contribution, commensurate with your income or financial means
- Trainees to provide their own hand tools
To receive the optional Certificate of Completion, trainees must:
- Complete 80 hours of on-farm training- Complete all online lessons & quizzes of the Farmer Trainee Course- Complete both intake and end-of-program surveys
- Pass a written and hands-on Farmer Training Final Exam
- Pass a written and hands-on Farmer Training Final Exam
Advanced Farmer Training Program
Our Advanced Farmer Training Program is for individuals who are ready to commit to urban farming as a profession, and are looking for in-depth, consistent hands-on training.
Trainees should come into the program with some basic gardening and farming skills, and will leave with advanced urban farming skills that can more directly translate into employment or starting a farm. Apprentices will learn skills from the various trades within the urban farming world from nursery propagation to growing food to CA native landscaping, and will receive significant practice with these skills.
This program requires:
- 16 week commitment, attending 3 days per week for 8 hour days
- A financial deposit, to be returned once all commitments have been fulfilled- Apprentices to provide their own hand tools
All apprentices who complete their commitments will receive a Certificate.
We require all trainees to:
- Value Our Work and Our Staff: Maintaining a highly diverse and intricately balanced farm such as ours requires a vast array of skills. It's not rocket science, but it's just as complicated. Trainees must first understand that they are receiving training that is becoming more and more valuable in a society that lacks these skills and understandings.
- Contribute: We offer our programs at flexible fee rates to keep them accessible to the communities we want to serve.
- Commit: Our staff devotes significant time to creating and maintaining these programs. We require that trainees reciprocate our efforts by showing up when they've committed to, working hard and prioritizing their participation in their program.
Application Process
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Step 1. Complete the Online Application below.
Step 2. We will schedule a "trial day" on the farm with you. This day is for you to ensure our program is the right fit for you, and for our farmers to determine if you are the right fit for our program.
Step 3. Sign paperwork, procure tools, and set a start date.
Please allow 1-2 weeks for our response to online applications.
Please allow 1-2 weeks for our response to online applications.