Farm Apprenticeship
The Farm Apprenticeship combines classroom learning with extensive hands-on learning on our 1.5-acre farm. Apprentices learn both the practical and business side of farming.
Farm Apprenticeship
The Small Farm Initiative farm apprenticeship teaches students how to grow organic and sustainable specialty vegetable crops in an urban setting. With a mixture of hands-on learning, classroom presentations, and field trips, this program dives into teaching students how to apply intensive growing practices that also build the soil and farm ecosystems. Weekly classes supplement the hands-on learning and provide in-depth information and background knowledge of what we are doing in the field. Together, farm apprentices and experienced farm staff cultivate 1.5 acres of undeveloped land in South Salt Lake City.
This training includes how to operate and run a small farm using regenerative practices, as well as how to effectively distribute produce. All farm apprentices will receive weekly produce from our farm for their participation in this program (June-October).
Class topics include bio-intensive farming, no-till farming, crop and seed selection, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), organic weed control, planting plans, business planning and development, field trips, and more.
If you are interested, please fill out the application. If you have any questions, please email Soni at sfi@gulb.org. Sliding scale payment options and payment plans are available upon request. To learn about the Farm Stewardship, click here.
Participation Options
Full Course
March 17 – October 17 2025
Classes 1x/week for 2 hours (Monday)
5hrs/week hands on learning during scheduled times
Cost: $1,200
Seasonal Modules
This season we will only be offering the full 32-week long course. We are doing this in hopes of better student retention in order to help our organization and the Salt Lake farming community.
What to Expect Each Season
March 17 – May 19 2025
Spring Module includes classes and hands on learning on these topics:
- Frost Dates/ Seed and Crop Selection
- Indoor seed starting and seedblocking
- Cool-weather crops
- Space intensive practices
- Bed preparation
- Transplanting/crop spacing
- Hoop House growing practices
- Mycology
- Fruit tree pruning
- Bees
May 26 – August 4 2025
Summer Module includes classes and hands on learning on these topics:
- Warm weather crops-when and how to plant them
- Bed preparation
- Transplanting/crop spacing
- IPM
- Organic weed control
- How to harvest and store crops
- CSA management
- Compost and compost tea
- Herbalism
- Food justice
August 11 – October 14 2025
Fall Module includes classes and hands on learning on these topics:
- Cool weather crops-when and how to plant them
- Transplanting/crop spacing
- Cover cropping
- Seed saving
- Winter bed preparation
- Mycology
- Beekeeping and homesteading
- Canning and preservation
Saturdays: 8am-1pm
Classes are every Monday evening from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Some classes will be held on zoom, others will be in-person field trips to various urban farms around Salt Lake. Students are responsible for transportation to and from field trip sites.
Meet Your Instructors
Soni Scheig
Soni first started their farming career interning at urban farms in the Midwest to get a better understanding of the food system. They quickly fell in love with it, and have now been working on farms for 7 years. They have been with GULB for 3 seasons. They gained skills and knowledge through working in back farms and on the community farm and they are now the farm manager and run the CSA.
Farm Manager, The Green Urban Lunch Box
James Loomis
A professional Organic grower, educator and small farm consultant, James Loomis has been a disciple of sustainability and permaculture for the past 20 years. A borderline fanatic when it comes to soil biology and regenerative ecosystems, his enthusiasm is contagious and his philosophies outrageous. Never afraid to try new things, rumor has it he is only 637 serious mistakes away from true wisdom.
Green Team Farm Director, Wasatch Community Gardens
Celia Bell
Celia has been an organic gardener since 1998. After graduating from Weber State University in 1998 with a B.S. in zoology and minors in both botany and chemistry, Celia decided that she wanted a “PhD in practical knowledge,” joined a farm collective, and took on gardening leadership responsibilities. After returning home to Utah she began large scale backyard gardening, teaching gardening classes, and taking as many gardening classes as possible. Chickens were a natural part in the evolution of her urban garden, and they were integrated in spring 2004. Celia’s chickens have been working hard on garden bug patrol, soil fertilizing and preparation, and egg production ever since.
Urban Homesteader
How to support community food production?
Get involved in another way!
- Visit one of these local farmers markets: