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Trainings |
TRAININGS
 Educational Garden Tours
are given from two to four times a year at the Willits Mini-Farm
Research Garden. They are an opportunity for interested people to
see the effectiveness of GROW BIOINTENSIVE sustainable mini-farming.
Mini-classes are also given during the tour, illustrating some of
the components of GROW BIOINTENSIVE.
(For more information see the Events page.)
 Three-Day Workshops are
given twice a year at Willits, California. The workshop is an intensive
in-depth study of GROW BIOINTENSIVE sustainable mini-farming, based
on our research since 1972. The program consists of lecture, discussion
and demonstration, and includes a full range of information on Sustainability
and Efficient Resource Use, Crops and Diet, Fertilization, Compost
and Compost Crops, Soil Preparation and Preservation, Seed Propagation,
and Income, as well as the perspective to tie all these together.
Most of the workshop is lecture and classroom work with one afternoon
devoted to demonstrations in the Research Garden. Our classes and
workshops encourage farmers and gardeners from many corners of the
globe to find solutions appropriate to their own context.
(For more information see the Events page.)
 Basic-Level Teacher Training
is for those interested principally in teaching others the basic
techniques of GROW BIOINTENSIVE. Prerequisites for taking this training
include having taken a Three-Day Workshop from a qualified teacher;
having grown a GROW BIOINTENSIVE garden of 300-500 square feet,
for at least one year following the above workshop, and spending
at least one year testing diet crops and compost crops; building
and using compost, and keeping records of diet and compost crops.
Candidates must also have a thorough understanding of Ecology Action
publications.
(For more information see Booklet #30, “GROW BIOINTENSIVE
Sustainable Mini-Farming Teacher Certification Program.”)
Basic-Level Teacher Certification:
An individual who wishes to be certified as a GROW BIOINTENSIVE
teacher at the basic level must first have taken the five-day Teacher
Training Workshop. There are other requirements for certification
once this workshop is completed. (For
more information see Booklet 30, as above.)
 Internships
The purpose of the intern program is to provide the intern with a thorough understanding of GROW BIOINTENSIVE sustainable mini-farming so the intern is able to apply and teach the method at a beginning and intermediate level. Interns are generally people who are already involved in a GROW BIOINTENSIVE project or will be involved in one on their return home. An applicant may be asked to attend a tour and/or a three-day workshop before consideration.
The internship is a six-month program from mid-April through mid-October at the Willits Mini-Farm or at its nearby associate, Golden Rule Garden. The two sites differ in soil quality and how time is structured. Interns at both sites will go to classes, study, and gain practical experience in the research garden.
This is an internship for service-minded people interested in garden research and teaching others. If you are looking for experience in production and marketing on an organic farm check out: WWOOF Attra
Please fill out the Internship Form
Apprenticeships
The purposes of the apprentice program are to better enable the apprentice to learn in-depth about GROW BIOINTENSIVE sustainable mini-farming and understand the most effective and sustainable farming practices for a given situation as well as to train teachers, and program and project staff. This three-year commitment requires energy, responsibility, and self-motivation. An apprentice will study and work full-time under the guidance of Ecology Action staff and participate in research and education opportunities within and without the garden. If you want to learn more about an apprenticeship, there is an in-depth discussion of the program in our Apprentice Opportunities Booklet.
Apprenticeship Prerequisites: The steps to becoming an apprentice are found in detail in the booklet. Briefly, they are:
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Read the basic Ecology Action publications available from Bountiful Gardens (The Sustainable Vegetable Garden, How to Grow More Vegetables, The Backyard Homestead, and Booklets #0, 9, 14, 19, 21)
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Attend one of Ecology Action’s tours and/or three-day GROW BIOINTENSIVE workshops, see Events
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Submit an application as described in the Apprentice Opportunities Booklet
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