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[Rachel Firak <rfirak AT gmail.com>]

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NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release: 1/27/12
Contact: Rachel Firak, New Farmer Training Coordinator, rfirak AT gmail.com

Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate Program now accepting applications
New Farmers: Apply online for the 100-hour, April-November program

Ithaca, NY – This spring, the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming will again offer its full-season training program for aspiring and beginning farmers and market gardeners. Running April 18 to November 14, the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program provides 124 hours of classroom training, hands-on workshops, farm visits, and supervised work experience on sustainable farms.

Trainees can choose to concentrate their studies on the management of vegetables and fruits, livestock and poultry, or pursue a diversified curriculum. Each trainee will have an individualized Learning Contract, and will be evaluated on the basis of that contract before being awarded Groundswell's Sustainable Farming Certificate. Instruction will be provided by experienced farmer mentors, as well as subject matter experts from our partner institutions such as Cornell University, USDA, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Trainees who complete 100 hours of training or more are eligible to receive Groundswell's Sustainable Farming Certificate.

Groundswell is committed to the vision of a regionally self-reliant food system that provides good food and economic opportunities for everyone. The Sustainable Farming Certificate Program, like each of Groundswell's New Farmer Training Programs, seeks to engage trainees from diverse cultural, racial, and economic backgrounds to participate in a supportive, trainee-driven learning environment. People of color, new immigrant and limited resource trainees are especially encouraged to apply. Tuition for the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program is on a sliding scale and ranges from $125 to $800, with substantial support offered to people of color, new immigrant and limited-resource trainees.

Applications for the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program are now online. Visit www.groundswellcenter.org to learn more and apply today.

The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming is an initiative of the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education/Center for Transformative Action.  Support for Groundswell comes from individuals and businesses who believe in the importance of strong local food systems, and from the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture-USDA, Grant #2010-49400-21799. For more information, visit www.groundswellcenter.org.

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Groundswell is an initiative of the not-for-profit Center for Transformative Action, Tax ID: 16‐0990318

-- 
Rachel Firak
New Farmer Training Coordinator
Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming
PO Box 6679
Ithaca, NY  14851
www.groundswellcenter.org

Helping diverse learners develop the skills, knowledge and access to 
resources they need to build more equitable and sustainable local 
food systems