Farm volunteer docent training starts March 9

The seven-session docent training for volunteers at the UC Santa Cruz Farm begins on Thursday, March 9.

Docents lead tours for visitors to UCSC’s 33-acre organic farm. Perched on a campus hillside with sweeping views of Monterey Bay, the Farm hosts a wide variety of education, research, and community programs, and is open to the public daily. If you enjoy gardening, learning about food and farming issues, and sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge with others, this is a wonderful chance to join our dynamic team of volunteers.

The 2017 Farm & Garden docent-training program will take place on the UCSC Farm on seven Thursday afternoons from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., beginning March 9 and ending April 27 (no session on April 6).

During the training sessions, participants will learn about organic farming and gardening practices, the history of the Alan Chadwick Garden and the UCSC Farm, and the research and education work of UCSC’s Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS), which manages the Farm & Garden programs and facilities. There is no pre-requisite to become a docent—just a willingness to learn and share.

After completing the training, docents are asked to lead a minimum of six tours a year and are encouraged to help with public education events, plants sales, and other efforts that support the Farm & Garden’s community outreach work. Docents will also enjoy ongoing, free enrichment workshops on a variety of topics.

Cost of the docent training is $25 ($5 for UCSC students) to cover materials. The initial session on March 9 is free and fees only apply to those who continue with the training. Campus parking costs will be covered during the training.

Active docents receive a yearly membership to the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden, which includes discounts at plant sales and local nurseries. Docents also receive free admission to many of the Friends’ gardening and fruit tree care workshops.

For more details and to arrange for parking during the training, please contact Melissa Betrone at (831) 459-3770, or mbetrone@ucsc.edu by Monday, March 6. The training is sponsored by the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz. You can learn more about the UCSC Farm & Garden and CASFS at http://casfs.ucsc.edu.