An “Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture,” a six-month training course in organic gardening and farming, is being offered at the Center for Agroecology at UC Santa Cruz. The course emphasizes hand-on learning and class instruction on organic horticultural methods. Cultural requirements for vegetable, herb, flower and fruit cultivars are covered, including soil preparation, composting, sowing, cultivation, propagation, irrigation, and pest and disease control. Marketing efforts include an on-site community supported agriculture (CSA) project. The full-time program includes field and garden work, classes, readings and field trips. The 35 to 40 apprentices each year come from throughout the U.S. and abroad and represent a wide spectrum of ages, backgrounds and interests. Several full and partial tuition waivers are available for minorities and for economically disadvantaged individuals. Tuition for the 2001 program is $3,000 with additional costs for books, tools and food. Program graduates receive a certificate for 20 units of UC Extension credit. Application deadlines are November 1, 2000 for U.S. and Canadian citizens, and September 1, 2000 for international applicants. For more information, contact the program at Apprenticeship Information, Center for Agroecology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064; Tel: (831) 459-2321; Fax: (831) 459-2799; Web site: http://zzyx.ucsc.edu/casfs; email: annemari@zzyx.ucsc.edu.