Zumwalt Acres Educational Programming: Apprenticeship, events and mentorship for a diversity of young emerging farmers

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Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: demonstration, display, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, workshop, youth education
• Sustainable Communities: community development, community services, food access and security, leadership development, local and regional food systems, quality of life, social networks, sustainability measures

Apprentices will engage in a hands-on, live-in learning experience on a regenerative farm committed to equity, justice, and environmentally-conscious growing. Experienced farmers and guest speakers will mentor apprentices in horticulture, agroforestry, and mushroom cultivation. ZA educators will facilitate on-farm and in-classroom workshops with the local Future Farmer of America (FFA) chapter. As ZA apprentices gain confidence in their own understanding of sustainable agriculture, they will build mentor relationships with FFA high school students, inspiring local youth to continue on the path of sustainable farming. Lastly, ZA hosts family-oriented educational events on the farm to introduce young children to food justice.

1. Teach skills in horticulture, agroforestry, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping and conventional to regenerative land transition to 20-25 young people through on-site educational programming and field trips to regenerative farms.
2. Provide mentorship and 2 workshops for 30 FFA students to enrich their curriculum with sustainable agriculture content.
3. Engage young people in applied agricultural research in collaboration with the University of Illinois and Yale University.
4. Host 1 field day and 3 community events, including 1 food justice event for local families with children.
5. Create 5 educational video clips and 1 apprentice-produced written material to be shared at events and distributed to young adults.