SPECIALTY CROP GROWER/MANAGER
(REGIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM PARTNERSHIPS)
Mission: The mission of the program is to improve the economic conditions and personal health of communities through growing new growers
Vision: Growing new growers will be accomplished through developing regional comprehensive full-time training programs, sustainable incubator farms, business cooperatives/networks, community support systems, and apprenticeship/mentor training programs. These regional efforts will be local near distressed communities to serve the unemployed/underemployed, food deserts, part-time growers, and local consumers.
Goals:
- Increase profits for small growers
- Reduce small growers’ time/effort needed to successfully market
- Provide jobs and start-up businesses for the under and unemployed
- Provide more locally grown, fresh, safe food to Ohio’s distressed communities
- Improve healthy eating of distressed community members
Major Components:
- 900 hour, Full-Time, Pell eligible training program
- Work experience on a 25-50 acre incubator farm for a full growing season
- A growers’ cooperative for marketing, purchasing, networking, in-service, etc. supported by an Extension Educator and other community resources
- State-wide support for training/business development work group, OSU and WVU Extension, OEOC, and OCDC
- OPTIONAL BLENDED APPRENDICESHIP PROGRAM: ODOD/DOL approved 2,000 or 4,000 hour OJT/336 or 636 hour classroom/lab registered apprenticeship or formal mentor training programs (Growing only or growing-management)
One-Year Apprenticeship Program Brochure
Two-Year Apprenticeship Program Brochure
LCCC Certificate Program Flyer