Farmers on the Rise Youth Apprenticeship is designed for individuals aged 13 years old to summer after high school graduation (school grades 7th-12th), who are seeking to develop agricultural and workforce skills.

Taught by farmers, this apprenticeship is perfect for someone considering a career in food production or local food systems.

The Farmers on the Rise youth apprentices work cooperatively to learn and master the skills of transplanting, direct seeding, mulching, field and greenhouse maintenance, integrated pest management, irrigation, harvesting, post-harvest handling, farmers market, production planning, beekeeping, tool maintenance, community development, and volunteer management.  

This is a paid apprenticeship with a schedule of 20 hours per week during June and July.
At the end of the summer intensive apprenticeship, apprentices may be given the opportunity to participate in a year-round paid apprenticeship. Successful apprentices will demonstrate responsibility, a desire to learn, a willingness to persevere and growth as measured on our Ag Matrix of Skills.

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER 2024 APPRENTICESHIP and will reopen in spring 2025.

We partner with numerous schools across the Kansas City metro to provide on-farm job skills training to students as part of our Farmers on the Rise program.

If you are interested in bringing a group to the farm regularly as part of a school or community program to participate in Farmers on the Rise, please email us and let’s chat.

We are grateful to those who specifically support this program including Joe and Jeanne Brandmeyer, The Shumaker Family Foundation, an anonymous family foundation and the Church of the Resurrection.