The HGEL Apprentice Program

“Always two there are, a master and an apprentice.”

Yoda, Stars Wars

Ok, Geri’s not exactly a dead-ringer for Yoda but she is patient and knowledgable!

A limited number of volunteer apprenticeships are available with HGEL.

You must have the following:

a minimum of 5 years of growing experience in a home garden, school garden, CSA or community garden;

a desire to learn and have the time to commit to a period of training and then working with a specific garden for a minimum of one growing season (4 months) and;

a desire for the possibility of future employment with HGEL.

You will train with Master Gardener and Founder, Geri Miller, for a period of time determined by  your individual experience. Apprentices will also be required to attend (tuition free) HGEL classes to increase knowledge base as well as volunteer in an assigned commercial garden for at least one (and up to two) growing seasons (4-8 mos.). The minimum time commitment is about 2-3 hrs every other week in one of our Manhattan Beach commercial gardens or 3-6 hrs every week at our urban farm site on Abbot Kinney on day(s) that are mutually convenient for apprentice and client.

Though much of our time at HGEL is spent nurturing plants, HGELers nurture people too. A candidate’s people skill is definitely as important as their skill with our veggie friends!

If your internship is completed successfully, to qualify for a permanent postion with HGEL you will be required to obtain either a certification via UC Cooperative Extension from their Victory Garden Initiative or Master Gardener Programs.

So if you are interested, please go to the Contact Us page and send us a message letting us know a bit about your gardening background. We’ll get back to you within a couple of days to arrange a meeting if spots are available. Come garden with us!