General Horticulture and Crop Production

The General Horticulture and Crop Production Certificate of Achievement prepares students for a fast paced career producing ornamental and edible plants in greenhouses, nurseries, vertical farms, and in-ground organic farms. Students gain hands-on experience in plant propagation, formulating and evaluating artificial media, fertilizer solutions, and observing the environmental conditions that influence plant and track growth and monitoring for pests.

Classes include greenhouse design and operation, crop production, hydroponic and substrate production, plant propagation, pest management, and irrigation design and installation. Students will also learn about greenhouse environmental controllers, lighting, fertigation systems, irrigation monitoring, and tracking plant growth. Additional classes include plant science and soil science and management. Students can focus on ornamental plants, nursery, greenhouse grown, or organic food production.

The certificate prepares for employment in floriculture and holiday crop production, the berry industry, hemp and cannabis production, wholesale landscape nursery production, indoor food systems, or organic food systems.

A total of 25-30 part-time and full-time students are expected to enroll with potential for annual growth. Completion rates of the certificate of achievement are expected to be five to ten per year with a potential for annual growth.

Cabrillo College is seeking approval from the Chancellor’s Office for the new General Horticulture and Crop Production Certificate of Achievement in Career Technical Education. The horticulture program is designed to train and educate students to work in the fields of general horticulture, sustainable and organic food production, ornamental and floriculture plant production, agriculture and soil science, arboriculture, permaculture, greenhouse and nursery management, and landscaping. 

The need for horticulture certificates and degrees has been advocated for by local, regional, and national governments and consortiums and supported by current, regional labor market research (TOP 0109.00).  The horticulture program is aligned with Cabrillo’s mission, master plan, and statewide community college work in Guided Pathways.  Approval of this program will benefit regional employers, fulfill horticulture and crop production needs of the local community, augment college enrollment, and support non-traditional and underserved minority students in a viable career and academic path. This program would give our students the knowledge and skills they need to work towards additional certificates or a degree and/or excel in the workforce. The goal is for certificate completers to be gainfully employed or continue with an associates degree. Working with employers to identify earning potential is promising, with potential for a starting salary of $39,000-$45,000/yr in jobs such as organic crop producer, ornamental crop producer, horticulturist, landscaper, agriculture laborer, and maintenance worker. A labor market analysis indicates there is a large labor market gap in the Bay region with 1,300 annual openings for the General Horticulture, Crop Production, and Sustainable Agriculture occupational cluster and 71 annual (3-year average) awards for an annual undersupply of 7,200  students. In the SC-Monterey Sub-Region, there is also a gap in annual job openings and few annual (3-year average) awards for an annual undersupply of 1,292 students.

The program requires 35 units of required core courses plus electives in an organic food production pathway (9 units) or ornamental design pathway (7 units). The certificate is stacked based on smaller unit certificates and leads onward to the General Horticulture and Crop Production - Associate in Science. 

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
HORT1A	Basic Horticulture	4	S1, Y1
HORT1B	Basic Horticulture: Crop Production	4	S2, Y1
HORT2	Soil Science	4	S1, Y2
HORT52	Greenhouse Design and Operation	3	S1, Y1
HORT54	Business Aspects of Horticulture	3	Y2
HORT58	Irrigation Systems	4	Y2
HORT62	Fall Plant Materials	3	S1, Y1
HORT 63	Spring Plant Materials	3	S2, Y1
HORT199C	Career Work Experience	1	Summer
HORT70	Organic Agriculture	4	S1, Y1
HORT71	Organic Food Production 1	4	S2, Y1
HORT72	Organic Food Production 2	1	Y2
HORT24	Plant Propagation	3	S1, Y2
HORT125	Hydroponic and Substrate Production	3	S1, Y2
HORT150	Pest Management	4	S2, YS
ENGL1A/1AH/1AMC/1AMCH/ESL1A or CABT157	English and Business and Technical Writing	2	Y1

The General Horticulture and Crop Production Associate in Science has been on offer at Cabrillo College for several years, but must be chaptered and approved by the Chancellor's Office as soon as possible.

Colleges within Cabrillo's service area including Monterey Peninsula College and Hartnell College do have an issue with offering a corresponding certificate. The CTE Deans were notified in Cabrillo's Service area were consulted.