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Beginning Farmer and Farmworker Training Program

The Beginning Farmer and Farmworker Training Program supports new and existing beginning farmer training programs and agricultural apprenticeship programs in California. The program is aimed at helping to strengthen networks and developing strategies to overcome barriers including but not limited to education, training, land access, capital, and equipment for production and marketing of crops. The program also focuses on prioritizing direct access to historically underserved groups to ensure the transition to farm ownership is successful.

Beginning farmers and farmworkers may contact BFFTP program organizations directly to inquire about farmworker training and educational opportunities. Below are the current organizations providing beginning farmer and farmworker training/apprenticeship programs in California:

African American Farmers of California

Program information coming soon. Please contact Chris Fields at fieldscwes@yahoo.com and Donald Sherman at shermanproduce@yahoo.com for all inquiries.

Cooperacion Santa Ana (Crece Urban Farms)

SemiYA! (pronounced seh-me-yah!) is a 7-month Urban Agroecology Educational Program to support the next cohort of cooperative urban farmers working towards food sovereignty in Santa Ana, California and surrounding communities. This program is an educational opportunity for people with varying experience as food growers who want to be a part of building an agroecological food system in their community. Currently in its planning phase, this program will invite 10-12 individuals to join us for a hands-on educational experience to grow their urban farming skills, network at the local and regional level, build community with other committed urban growers, and develop the skills necessary to obtain an apprenticeship or job at an urban farm.
For more information, please contact Abel Ruiz at (714)227-0213 or abel@crece-urbanfarms.org.

Farmworkers Institute of Education and Leadership Development (FIELD)

Program information coming soon. Please contact info@fieldinstitute.org for all inquiries and follow @field_institute on social media for updates.

Foodshed Cooperative

Foodshed Cooperative's Cultivating Agricultural Livelihoods for San Diego Farmers and Farmworkers is an initiative to support beginning and aspiring farmers in San Diego County. The project supports beginning farmers by: 1) expanding land access and infrastructure through a 40-acre Incubator Farm & Training Center focused on regenerative agriculture and equity; 2) launching a paid apprenticeship program in collaboration with host farms across San Diego County; and 3) strengthening partnerships to build pathways for farmers to grow their knowledge, careers, and businesses.
For more information, please visit https://www.foodshedcooperative.com/ or contact Mae Piacenza at mae@foodshedcoop.com (Incubator Program) and Andi Kaffai andi@foodshedcoop.com (Apprenticeship Program).

Huerta Del Valle

Huerta Del Valle’s Beginning Farmer Training project is training the next generation of small-scale farmers in California’s Inland Empire. Rooted in Jurupa Valley, Crestmore, and Ontario, CA, the program offers a bilingual, 6-month hybrid training for new and aspiring farmers. The program prioritizes socially disadvantaged and underserved communities, and all participants are eligible to apply for our Farm Incubation Program, which provides access to land, tools, technical assistance, and mentorship to begin growing the farm of their dreams. Scholarships and stipends are available to reduce financial barriers. With heart and purpose, we provide hands-on training, engaging workshops, and one-on-one mentorship that not only teaches sustainable agriculture but also build confidence, community, and hope. Our goal is to open doors for farmers to grow healthy food, strong connections, and thriving futures.
For more information, please visit https://www.huertadelvalle.org/programs or contact Maria Alonso (Founder) at EF-BFFTP@huertadelvalle.org or (909)-509-2996

Pueblo Unido CDC

In 2023, leveraging knowledge acquired through a CDFA BFFTP planning grant, Pueblo Unido CDC (PUCDC) identified fair wage new jobs for farmworkers and entrepreneurial resources, including land access, for beginning farmers as priority needs in the Eastern Coachella Valley of Riverside County. PUCDC conducted research on Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and Regenerative Agriculture as viable, sustainable climate adaptations to field-based agriculture in this desert area—a promising agricultural future for workers and farmers.  Supported by a BFFTP implementation grant, PUCDC launched El Milagro Farms ECV, a social enterprise providing  underserved farmworkers with new skills in technology-based indoor CEA/hydroponics, living wages, health benefits, safer working conditions, and improved job security; and providing small-scale farmers with a variety of key resources, including training in Regenerative Agriculture and lease access to 40 acres of land owned by Pueblo Unido CDC, the operations center for El Milagro Farms ECV.  Excess income generated by El Milagro Farms ECV is re-invested into PUCDC’s Rural Communities Investment Fund for community-driven climate change adaptation strategies and projects, directing locally-owned economic power to build strong, healthy sustainable communities in the historically disinvested Eastern Coachella Valley. 
For more information, please contact Sergio Carranza, Executive Director, Pueblo Unido CDC, at scarranza@pucdc.org.

Three Sisters Garden

Three Sisters Gardens' BFFTP-funded Urban Agriculture Leadership Development Program is an initiative that serves youth ages 14-24 in the Broderick neighborhood of West Sacramento with hands-on training, workforce readiness, and leadership development rooted in regenerative farming, food sovereignty, and community health. This youth-centered program focuses on agricultural career pathways, case management, peer mentorship, and personal development to serve a community disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, unemployment, and environmental injustice.
For more information, please visit https://www.3sistersgardens.com/internship or contact Simren Kaur at simren@3sistersgardens.com.