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Landowners, businesses, school districts, and municipalities across the Golden State partner with CLBL to reach their workforce goals and create educational opportunities for tomorrow’s leaders. Find what’s happening in your area.
ABOUT US
For more than 30 years, the Center for Land-Based Learning has helped aspiring farmers and environmental stewards tap into careers, resources, and possibilities within California’s rich working lands.
1993
Farming, Agriculture, and Resource Management for Sustainability (FARMS) is established as a stand-alone high-school education program.
2020
CLBL breaks ground on a new 30-acre headquarters at The Maples Farm in Woodland, California, providing field and classroom learning space for programs and the community.
2001
The Center for Land-Based Learning becomes a formal nonprofit organization and launches a second initiative, the Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship Program (SLEWS).
2021
The Mobile Farmers Market Truck hits the road in West Sacramento, California, expanding the Community Food Program.
Our Programs
From neighborhood food access to climate research, prospects for discovery and involvement abound. Whether you’re a high-school teacher, a community volunteer, curious about a career in farming, or a lover of local food, we invite you to explore what we have to offer.
Expanding opportunities for California’s youth through hands-on experiences and encounters.
Internships, apprenticeships, training and connections that equip tomorrow’s leaders.
Programs and support to overcome barriers that limit access to land, food, and meaningful careers.
Innovative research, replicable best practices and scalable climate solutions with generational impact.
Throughout the year you can connect with us by attending events, taking a class, volunteering, shopping at the Mobile Farmers Market Truck, and more!
The Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (SLEWS) Program encourages high school students to dig into habitat restoration through real projects on farms, ranches and open spaces.
Mentors play a key role in the SLEWS program by ensuring project quality, making personal connections with students, and co-facilitating field days that maintain SLEWS Program culture. Mentors are required to commit to one project (three non-consecutive field days) and be present for the duration of the field day. No experience needed!
This monthly event is a fun way to connect and learn. Each month, we focus on a different topic, highlighting some of the difference-makers in our region. Enjoy hot wood-fired pizzas, cold drinks, and great conversation.
This month we’ll talk about the importance of our smallest raptors and how to help support their habitat. The California Hawking Club will share what it takes to make your home a great home for kestrels, and UC Davis researchers discuss the many ecosystem services these little raptors offer.
As a bonus, we’ll enjoy live music by the band The Kestrels!
Wednesday, October 21
4:30-7:30 p.m. at our HQ in Woodland
Practice harvesting olives using traditional and mechanical hand-held harvesters and see how technique, tools, and timing all affect the harvest. We’ll also walk through what it takes to keep an orchard healthy year-round—from pruning and irrigation to pest management and seasonal care.
Beyond the harvest, we’ll share what we’re learning about maximizing carbon sequestration and building healthy soil biology in the orchard—work that’s shaping how we think about olive growing as part of a bigger picture of climate-smart agriculture.
The day wraps up with a tasting of oil pressed from this very orchard, so you can taste the results of the work firsthand.
Tuesday, October 27th from 9:00 a.m.-12 noon
Testimonial
The Urban Ag Internship has been transformative, teaching me practical skills while fostering a sense of community with the people I work with. I’m grateful for the support and opportunities it has provided as I’m able to learn day by day and meet great people along the way.
Sending Enrique, one of our most respected employees, through the Apprenticeship Program was one of the best decisions for our farm. Enrique not only learned new techniques and grew his personal network that he still uses today, more importantly, he built up his confidence in himself. He learned how to question the status quo and find ways to make influential changes on our farm. Through his experience in the Apprenticeship Program, he has become an invaluable manager on our farm managing our shop. This program doesn’t just train future farmers, it builds stronger, more innovative agricultural leaders.
The Explorer Course did not shy away from sharing the risks, challenges, and hardships that small farmers face, and it was designed to really make us think about our values and goals and where we wanted to take our farm journey, whether that was moving on to start a farm business, work on a farm, or be involved with farming in some other way. Every risk, every challenge, every opportunity that we discussed in class really sparked my interest and I came to realize that, yes, that is what I want for my life, and ultimately it led me to continue my farm journey with CLBL.