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9/10/2014

Sustainable Agriculture Apprenticeships | Schumacher College

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Sustainable Horticulture Apprenticeships Programme


How can we work with nature and biological cycles to improve our horticultural
production? And how do we do it without increasing environmental degradation,
climate change or consumption of finite resources? These are pressing questions of
our time. If you want to learn practical skills to grow your own food sustainably and are
willing to try new approaches, this apprenticeship is for you.
Schumacher College has an international reputation for its holistic and systems
approach to sustainability. We have been teaching sustainable horticulture for four
years, with four acres of land integrating food production with beauty, biodiversity and
quiet spaces for contemplation. We adjoin Martin Crawfords 16 year old forest garden
and are close to his research trials site. We are two miles from Totnes, home of the
Transition Movement and are part of the historic Dartington Hall Estate, with its
beautiful listed gardens.
School Farm Community Supported Agriculture, on the Dartington Estate, is a social
enterprise that engages with the local community through events, opportunities to
volunteer, horticultural courses and supplying fresh, organic food. They supply this
food through a Community Supported Agriculture model where each household subscribes to the farm for a full year and receives a share of the harvest. Currently
working on an acre they aim to expand this market garden while continuing with organic certification and developing low carbon, ecologically sensitive growing
technology based on minimum tillage and low mechanisation.

Activities
The apprenticeships are full-time for 6 months and will involve gardening outdoors in all weathers for at least 4
days per week. Each week you can expect to be in the Schumacher gardens for 3 days and at the nearby
School Farm for 1 day. The remaining day will comprise a mixture of lectures, seminars, laboratory practical
activities and site visits. You will also have some morning, evening and weekend responsibilities for watering and
looking after livestock, on a rota basis.
You will be part of the Colleges international learning community, getting to know students, staff and volunteers
through daily meetings and shared activities. There is also a diverse programme of activities and evening talks,
offered by college residents, visiting teachers and local experts.

Skills You Will Acquire


Gardening techniques (composting, mulching, seed sowing, planting, propagation, grafting, seed saving etc.)
Scythe use and maintenance
Cultivation of annual and perennial food plants, including forest gardening
Understanding soil and plant science
Observation and experimentation skills
Site design (using permaculture principles)
Chicken and duck care
Integrated pest management
How to run a no-dig, organically certified market garden (horticultural and business skills)

Dates
The apprenticeships run from Friday April 10 to Friday 10 October 2015. You will have 2 weeks break within July/August, with dates agreed to ensure that no more than
2 apprentices are away at any time.

Qualification
On successful completion of the apprenticeship you will gain a Schumacher College Award (Apprenticeship in Sustainable Horticulture). You will also gain a
Permaculture Design Certificate (awarded by the Permaculture Association), as part of the course. If you already have a PDC, you will be able to start working towards
your Diploma if you wish.

Teachers
Jane Gleeson
Jane graduated in Medical Sciences at Cambridge University in 1990 and spent over ten years working in the NHS mostly within the field of mental
health. 15 years ago she had what she describes as a Pauline Damascus experience and converted to horticulture. She studied and worked at
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew for three years and then taught Horticulture at Hadlow College in Kent. Before coming to Schumacher she taught part
time whilst running her own local garden maintenance business.
She says: I love work ing at the College with its emphasis on exploring and developing respectful relationships to each other, the planet and the
food that sustains us.

http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/sustainable-horticulture-apprenticeships-programme

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Sustainable Agriculture Apprenticeships | Schumacher College

Teachers at School Farm


Jenny Gellatly
For the past ten years Ive work in environmental education, community projects and campaigning, mostly on issues relating to food. It all began
at the Centre for Alternative Technology; from there I completed a degree in Environmental Geography and International Development and then had
spells as a Forest School Leader and as the South West Regional Coordinator of the Mapping Local Foods Webs Project. I then spent two years
studying sustainable horticulture at Schumacher and was fortunate to move straight from studying into work ing alongside an amazing grower and
mentor, Nick Gooderham, who founded School Farm. Ive work ed at School Farm for the past four years, as a grower and teacher, and am now one
of the team leading the establishment of the Community Supported Agriculture scheme. I love the outdoors, the wind, the rain and even the mud,
and still believe more than anything in getting stuck into creating a better world..

Melissa Harvey
I have work ed with growing food and environmental education for over 10 years, inspired by my mums garden, a feral child hood in a walled garden
and holidays spent volunteering on organic farms. My first job was at Garden Organic on the International Programme. Then I started to get my
hands dirty work ing as a Forest School leader and environmental playwork er at the Centre for Alternative Technology, as well as free-lance
gardening. Another shift brought me to the Level 3 Horticulture course at Schumacher, which I finished in July 2012 and since then I have been
helping to set up the Community Supported Agriculture scheme, where my productivity is measured by how muddy my face is at the end of the day.
Alongside my days at School Farm I also work with Devon County Council on their Composting in Schools project.

Zoe Jong
In 2008 I left a job as a magazine editor to work on range of food-growing projects across the world, from agro-tourism in Malawi to the
Permaculture Research Institute in Australia. In India I came across the work of the Institute for Ecology and Culture (ISEC), which helped me
decide to return to the UK to grow food. Since that decision Ive work ed on an organic mark et garden in Wales, for a farm co-operative and as
freelance gardener at some beautiful sites including the Sharpham Estate, completed a Level 3 Sustainable Horticulture course at Schumacher
College and taught Level 2 practicals at Schumacher College. Ive also developed my interest in therapeutic horticulture, recently work ing on a new
enterprise engaging people with learning difficulties. To me Community Supported Agriculture is the model for a fairer food systemand its great
fun!

Laura Creen
First I was a hitchik ing traveller zigzagging across Canada, then I was a square rigged sailor jumping from boat to boat in search of interesting
places. Now Im a farmer in a foreign land who loves learning about vegetables. I completed a 2 year Soil Association apprenticeship on a large
mixed farm 5 years ago. Since finishing Ive been work ing on CSA projects. I never wanted to be a lone farmer growing crops in a field for
supermark ets. I wanted to share all the great things Ive been learning about vegetables with other people, so CSAs were a natural progression.
When I think of the next 30 years of growing food I think about being resilient and growing in extremes and am determined to k eep learning new
techniques to mak e this possible, and Im excited to do this at School Farm CSA.

Entry requirements
Experience in private gardening, food growing or working in the horticultural industry is expected. A strong interest in organic, sustainable approaches and an open and
enquiring mind are essential. Completion of a previous course in sustainable horticulture at Schumacher College would be an advantage.
You should be flexible, energetic, self-motivated, comfortable in groups and open to the opportunities of community living.
You will need to provide your own steel toe-cap footwear and wet weather gear.

Language Requirements
Students must be able to converse and write fluently in English.

Visas
Non-EU citizens may need to apply for a student visitor visa. For further information visit
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Food and Accommodation


You will be provided with basic accommodation within the Dartington estate and all meals at Schumacher
College. You will have easy access to washing facilities and laundry. Our food is vegetarian, almost completely organic and we grow as much of it as we can ourselves.
As students at the College, you will be part of the cooking and kitchen clear up teams and you will be expected to clean your own living spaces.

Fees
The fees include tuition, accommodation and food for 6 months and are 6000. We have a bursary fund that you will be invited to apply for if you are offered an
apprenticeship place. The bursaries will be allocated on the basis of both financial need and individual potential.

http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/sustainable-horticulture-apprenticeships-programme

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apprenticeship place. The bursaries will be allocated on the basis of both financial need and individual potential.

Application Process
Application forms can be downloaded here and should be completed and returned by Friday 28th November.
Click here to download the application form >>

Opportunities after the programme


On successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will be eligible to apply for other opportunities at Schumacher College and
Dartington:
being a winter garden volunteer at Schumacher (Oct-Apr);
being a student tutor on the next sustainable horticulture apprenticeship programme;
possible access to land for innovative growing projects on the Dartington Estate;
business start-up schemes.

For further enquiries please contact Jane Gleeson: jane.gleeson@schumachercollege.org.uk

http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/sustainable-horticulture-apprenticeships-programme

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