Apprentice Donation Plots
The farmers at Oz bring experience from top agriculture training programs around the country, and through the development of the nonprofit, we identified a core gap missing from most programs: experience in management-level farming.
In response, we created a new field, thanks to a grant from Good Farm Fund, in which our 4 apprentices are designing & managing their own plots to practice ecological farming techniques, learn how to build soil and holistically manage a piece of land. Each apprentice manages 2 farm beds. This hands-on-experience is paired with weekly classroom time dedicated to teaching theory and best practices.
Village Oz strives to go beyond the status quo for farm apprenticeships and send our graduates into the world confidently equipped to manage their own organic farms. 100% of the organic produce grown by the apprentices in these plots will be shared with community partners. As they learn, they produce thousands of dollars worth of produce to donate per year.
Growing to Share
We offer a Market Match incentive to all EBT customers who come to the Point Arena Farmers Market. This means that if a customer spends $5 worth of food stamps, they will actually walk away with $10 worth of organic produce.
Village Oz continues to develop relationships with local schools and non-profits to expand access to our educational programming and land - we envision mentoring local high school students, hosting Community Farm Days, and offering opportunities for those who may need it to trade volunteer hours for vegetables.
Community Education: Field Trips and Workshops
We BELIEVE THAT GROWING FARMERS AND adVOCATES creates a strong community and helps to move the needle on the counter culture.
We love bringing our community to the farm to learn. We are offering Field Trips for local schools and homeschool groups to enjoy a few hours of earth-tending on the land. For adults, we offer private group tours and seasonal workshops. If you have any interest in scheduling a visit or in teaching a land-based workshop at Oz, email amanda@ozfarm.com!