About the Regenerative Communities Youth Apprenticeship 

The RC Youth Apprentice Program with the Ecological Citizen’s Project began in 2023, where we employed Youth Apprentices during the growing season (approx. May—September) with flexible part-time hours to work with our Farmers and land stewards at The Sanctuary Healing Farm & Gardens in Newburgh and the Peekskill Regeneration Farm in Peekskill.

Through this public food garden-based Youth Apprenticeship, youth will learn practical skills in farming and dig deeper into the workings of our global food system, the movement for food sovereignty, understanding health & nutrition, and climate and environmental justice. We believe that access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food is a human right, and that land can be a space of deep healing and reconnection.

Youth Apprentices were involved in all aspects of running the public food garden sites and learned how to grow nourishing food for their community. Specific farm tasks included planting and seed sowing, weeding, watering, harvesting, preparing produce for distribution, keeping crop records, building farm infrastructure, and recruiting and welcoming community members to the space during events and programming.

—

While the ECP is no longer hiring Youth Apprentices, we are happy to support Newburgh Sanctuary in Newburgh and Building Eden Farms in Peekskill as they carry on stewardship of the public food garden sites and continue to mentor youth on the land.