SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Join the next generation of agrarians!

Program: UBC Farm Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture
Type: six-month experiential learning program / tuition fee
University / Program: UBC Farm
Location: UBC Farm, UBC, Vancouver BC

You do not need to be a UBC student to enroll! This is a program for beginners, and all ages and backgrounds are welcome.

The application for the 2025 cohort opens on September 1, 2024. Deadline to apply is October 19, 2024. Visit here to apply. Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca. Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis, so apply early!

The UBC Farm Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture is a six-month experiential learning program that provides an introduction to small-scale organic mixed vegetable farming for sale through direct markets. It is designed for aspiring farmers and community food growers, as well as those seeking to deepen their understanding of the food system and the pursuit of food sovereignty. You do not need to be a UBC student to attend!

The program is designed to give an expedited introduction to small-scale organic vegetable production beyond what one might learn working as a new field hand on a for-profit farm operation. The curriculum is organized as a part-time (Thursday-Saturday), four- to six-month program balanced through the season with approximately 70% seasonal field production and direct marketing activities and 30% classroom sessions, faculty and guest speakers presentations, field trips, reading discussions and student presentations. Students learn primarily through their integration with the wider ~8 acre organic mixed-vegetable farm on site and the field staff who manage it, as well as through their own growing spaces where they have more autonomy, and where they will grow food for sale at their own Saturday market stand; for donation; and for themselves!

A $40 CAD application fee is required, to be paid online once the application form is submitted. For the 2025 program, we have two application pools:

• Full Program, April 17 – October 18, 2025. UBC students completing the full program are eligible to receive 9 academic credits via APBI 365 and APBI 465.
• Summer Option, April 17 – August 23, 2025. This is intended to accommodate the scheduling limitations of students currently enrolled at UBC or other institutions. There are limited summer program spaces. Only apply for this option if your schedule truly prohibits you from attending the full program. UBC students completing the Summer Option are eligible to receive 6 academic credits via APBI 365 (additional action is required). Priority is given to applicants intending to complete the full program.

OPEN HOUSE

Interested in the program? Join us for an open house (virtual or in-person) to ask questions and learn more about the program. Stay tuned for registration.

• Virtual Open House: Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 7-8 p.m. PST. Join us for an overview of the program, followed by a Q&A with program coordinator, Katherine Aske.
• In-Person Open House: Saturday, September 28, 2024, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the UBC Farm. Join us for an overview of the program, followed by a Q&A with program coordinator, Katherine Aske, and a tour of the Farm (including the Practicum fields and market stand where students will be selling their produce). The open house will be happening during the bustling Saturday market hosted each week at the Farm, so come ready to pick up some groceries for the week and maybe even a tasty lunch from one of our food vendors.

Reach out to the program coordinator, Katherine, at katherine.aske@ubc.ca with any questions.

Visit here to apply. Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca. Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis, so apply early!