Urban Farming Education

City Slicker Farms established its Urban Farming Education program to close the knowledge and skills gap preventing low-income residents of West Oakland from growing their own food. The program offers a variety of approaches and commitment levels to teach community members about effective agricultural techniques. These include: periodic volunteer sessions, workshops, farm tours, as well as three-month internships and yearlong apprenticeships to prepare individuals for careers in sustainable agriculture.

City Slickers Farms' initiatives are funded mostly through support from foundations and government agencies, but the organization also receives monetary and in-kind donations from individuals and local businesses. All services are free. In addition to the Urban Farming Education program, City Slickers Farms also hosts the Community Market Farms program, Backyard Garden Program, and the Policy Advocacy Initiative.

City Slicker Farms offers a range of educational programs through its Urban Farming Education initiative to enable individuals and communities to grow their own food.

In 2010, the Urban Farming Education program hosted 48 farm tours, 12 workshops, and hands-on urban gardening lessons for 268 volunteers. Additionally, the program trained 27 interns, five youth interns, and five full-time apprentices in marketable urban farming, gardening, and greenhouse propagation skills.