Urban Farmer Training Program
Urban Farmers Training Program
Free Space. Free Tools. Free Training. Real Change.
At The Eden’s Rose Foundation, we believe that food is power—and access to land, tools, and training should be a basic right, not a privilege. That’s why we launched the Urban Farmers Training Program (UFTP) at Albany Victory Gardens, right in the heart of the West Hill neighborhood.
We’re transforming vacant lots into vibrant learning gardens, and empowering local residents—many of whom face food insecurity, economic hardship, and systemic barriers—with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to grow their own food and build a better future.
What We Do
The Urban Farmers Training Program is a free, hands-on, community-based farming education initiative for adults in Albany’s most underserved neighborhoods.
Each season (from May 15 to first frost), we offer:
- Weekly 1-on-1 farmer training (4 hours/week)
- Group gardening technique workshops
- Mentorship from experienced neighborhood growers
- Peer-led cooperative learning in the training gardens
- Community-wide access to healthy, fresh produce
- Optional FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) certification course at season’s end
No experience required. No barriers to entry. Just soil, seeds, and support.
Why It Matters
The West Hill neighborhood faces a severe lack of access to fresh, affordable food—while also being surrounded by vacant lots and underutilized land.
We’re flipping that script.
This program:
- Builds community food sovereignty
- Increases nutrition access and reduces diet-related disease
- Teaches microeconomic and agricultural skills that can lead to job opportunities
- Creates green spaces that uplift neighborhoods and improve mental health
- Cultivates leadership, collaboration, and community pride
This is not just about gardening—it’s about transforming systems, reclaiming power, and planting the seeds of long-term equity.
What’s Next
Our vision doesn’t stop at harvest. We’re laying the groundwork for year-round community agriculture that is:
- Culturally relevant
- Economically viable
- Environmentally sustainable
With additional support, we plan to expand our curriculum to include:
- Soil development and composting
- Post-harvest handling and value-added production
- Overwinter gardening
- Business planning for market growers
This is how we create generational change—by equipping people with the tools and knowledge to feed themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods.
Get Involved
Help us grow a food system that works for the people, by the people.
- Donate to expand free trainings, purchase tools, and increase local food access
- Volunteer at Albany Victory Gardens—no green thumb required!
- Partner with us to bring this model to more neighborhoods
Let’s cultivate health, justice, and opportunity from the ground up. Because when you give someone a garden, you give them more than food You give them freedom.