Garden Apprenticeship

Kinship Plot creates stories, places, and beautiful schemes of rooted belonging. We envision vibrant communities where people experience resonant relationships through stable housing, shared land stewardship, and creative, hospitable life together.

The Kinship Plot Garden Apprenticeship program exists to pass on knowledge and provide hands-on gardening skills training, earthkeeping, and a vision for land-based community development to the next generation. It is open to ages 16-40.

Apprenticeship Activities

• Hands-on learning: Organic, sustainable, polyculture principles and practices of gardening, site preparation, planting, soil structure, basics of poultry care
• Ongoing care: Watering, weeding, harvesting, succession planting, organic pesticide control, compost turning
• Data collection: Track crops planted, harvested, and donated
• Contemplative action: Integrate values with cultivation, stewardship and creation care, food and environmental justice, food systems, mutual aid, and food distribution into the community
• Reflection: Writing, social media, reflection on learning
• Assist with fundraising for the Apprenticeship Program
• Participation in other Kinship Plot activities as fitting such as group work days and offerings for the community

Skills, qualifications, abilities

• Resonance with the mission and vision of Kinship Plot
• Reliable and trustworthy, with good communication skills
• Interest in learning about food justice, sustainability, and community care through slow cultivation
• Ability to engage in outdoor physical activity in the HOT North Carolina summer
• Must be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9Am-1PM 
• Must have reliable transportation
• No previous experience is necessary. This is a learning journey! 

Hours, Location, & Stipend

• Apprentices will steward two locations during their internship: The Food Forest in Northeast Charlotte and vegetable gardens in West Charlotte. 
• The weeks for the apprenticeship range from the week of May 12th to mid-August 2025. Apprentices are expected to work at least 12 weeks in that span of time. For applicants navigating school schedules, we can make an exception on the start date and the number of weeks you will work based on your schedule, so don’t let this keep you from applying. 
• The apprenticeship is 8 hours per week and takes place Tuesday and Thursdays from 9 AM-1PM 
• The stipend for the apprenticeship is $90/day for each FULL 4 hour day that you work. The expectation is that you will be there ready to begin by 9am unless otherwise communicated. 
• Kinship Plot takes a co-vocational, collaborative approach to sustainability so each apprentice is responsible to participate in fundraising to help support the Apprenticeship Program. Apprentices are encouraged to raise the funds by inviting their family, friends, and community to support them by making donations directly to Kinship Plot (with the name of the garden apprentice in the memo) and to participate in the annual plant sale and other fundraising activities.

To apply, fill out the application. For informal questions, email cultivation@kinshipplot.org