Seed to Seed Farm School
Apprentice Program Application Period is OPEN!
Seed to Seed is a farmer-run agricultural school offering one-year apprenticeships on southern New England farms.
We facilitate paid apprenticeship programs for beginning farmers while providing a sturdy foundational curriculum to best prepare participants for a successful career in farming. We are currently accepting applications for 2025 apprentices from RI and eastern MA.
Apprentices will work for THREE farms of their choosing in their area. In addition to work on the farm, apprentices will be enrolled in the S2S curriculum (offered virtually), which includes courses on soil and plant science, agro-ecology, business planning, as well as marketing skills and bookkeeping. Apprentices will also take part in workshops and community events in their area.
Read More and Apply:
Apprentices
Seed to Seed Core Course Description:
Soil and Plant Science, Organic Methods
(March 17th, 19th, 24th, and 26th)
Although S2S offers apprenticeships on non-organic farms in our community, Organic is the method of farming we think is best for our health, our community, and our planet. In this foundational course we will explore the scientific nature of soil, its physical, chemical, and biological structure. We will then look at the plant system, how mineral nutrition is assimilated in plant tissue and how plants form synergistic relationships with the soil. This class explores the soil food web in brief and examines the controversy in the farming world around how to best provide proper nutrition to crops and livestock. Lastly we will look at the world of organic/regenerative agriculture, talk about some pioneer growers, and John will discuss his journey with Big Train Farm’s organic system.
Introduction to Agro-ecology
(April 2nd, and 9th)
Agro-ecology is the modeling of farming practices with natural systems. Being informed by natural systems is a way to reduce inputs on the farm, regenerate depleted soil, encourage biodiversity, and save money and labor. This course is taught by Dr. Alejandro Brambila, an agro-ecologist based in southern New England. Dr. Brambila will discuss different models of bio mimicry and how to implement them into various kinds of farming systems. Agro-ecology ranges from the elegantly simple to the highly complex and Dr. Brambila will help to simplify and demonstrate these practices using examples from successful farmers.
Build Your Farm – Cash Flow and Business Planning
(Offered in the Fall 2025)
Understanding cash flows and budgeting is critical to running a financially viable farming business. In this course offered in the fall we will be building a mock-farm over the course of five-classes. Using spreadsheets and sleuthing we will build a viable cash flow and follow the progress of our mock-farm for several years. This class will provide students with a solid understanding of the seasonable variability of income, the realities of expenses and how those expenses are partially determined by region, the farm’s location. Students will grapple with investment decisions, long-term business planning, and see how an understanding of cash flow can provide peace of mind and empowerment.
Marketing, Record Keeping
(Offered in the Fall 2025)
For better or for worse the ultimate test of any commercial farming operation is how to make money. Marketing can be a challenging and confusing step for beginning farmers. How to get involved in local or regional markets can be daunting. Should your farm focus on wholesale or retail sales? How does someone start a CSA program? Is a CSA even practical where your farm is located? This course will explore these questions and more.
Success in marketing depends on being informed about what you’re producing and when, how efficient you are with the land you have, and how you make all the pieces fit together. This includes planting schedules, harvest expectations, field plans, crop rotations, labor scheduling, and more. The second half of this class will be a detailed explanation of record keeping, what’s important and what’s not. By the end of the course students will understand how to account for all major facets of their farming career through good record keeping.