Sustainable and Organic Food Production

The Sustainable and Organic Food Production Certificate of Achievement prepares students to become good horticulturists through the understanding of organic and sustainable food production, in ground organic agriculture, and controlled environment agriculture. Students learn about the process of organic certification, laws and regulations, managing soil health, organic practices for pest management, planting schedules, and cover cropping. Students explore controlled environment agriculture practices such as hydroponics, substrate production, aquaponics, and greenhouse environments. The certificate also explores sustainability practices and water use. 

The certificate prepares students for career opportunities in agriculture and agricultural business, including organic food production on small and/or large farms, plant breeders, irrigation specialists, pest control advisors, county agriculture inspectors, greenhouse growers, and more.

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 Sustainable and Organic Food 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 decorative plant production agriculture and soil science, arboriculture, permaculture, greenhouse and nursery management, landscape design, landscape installation, and maintenance. 

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.

26 units of required coursework in the horticulture department. 

The certificates and degrees include work experience education allowing students to practically apply what they have learned to work experience and internships locally. 

The horticulture department is also partnering with local and state universities to develop degrees that onboard directly into a 4-year degree program. These are currently offered in agricultural plant sciences and an agricultural business program is being developed with the goal of expanding offerings.  

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
HORT1A	Basic Horticulture	4.00	S1
HORT2	Soil Science	4.00	S1
HORT70	Organic Agriculture	4.00	S1
HORT71	Organic Food Production I	4.00	S2
HORT150	Pest Management	4.00	S1
HORT125	Hydroponic and Soil Substrate	3.00	S2
HORT99	Horticulture Work Experience	1.00	S2
HORT140A	Intro to Berry Production	1.00	S3
HORT140B	Intermediate Berry Production	1.00	S3

The Environmental Horticulture Center and Botanic Gardens sits on 11 beautiful view acres, overlooking the entire campus and the Monterey Bay region. The Center provides students with an excellent horticultural educational facility and is a focus for community activities. A state-of-the-art nursery includes greenhouses, shade houses, raised beds, and a lab classroom. Cabrillo College also has a CCOF certified organic farm. The Cabrillo College Horticulture department has a large landscape containing Mediterranean and California Native plants that provides students with hands-on learning opportunities to observe, properly prune, and maintain plants adaptable to a California climate. Off campus field trips provide additional opportunities for students to view California native plants in their native habitat and Mediterranean plants in established landscapes.   The Cabrillo College Horticulture goals include principles of greenhouse design and operation, crop production, hydroponic and substrate production, plant propagation, pest management, landscape and arboriculture, and irrigation design and installation. Students receive hands-on experiential learning by working in the horticulture center and certified organic farm. They can explore arboriculture, landscape maintenance and design, groundwork, and pruning.  The program provides stackable certificates with core required courses that give students a foundational understanding of materials and design, pest management, arboriculture, and pruning. Each certificate is unique in the elective courses and selections allowing students to stack certificates leading them on a pathway to higher unit certificate completion, degrees, and/or transfer.  The certificates and degrees include work experience education allowing students to practically apply what they have learned to work experience and internships locally.  The horticulture department is also partnering with local and state universities to develop degrees that onboard directly into a 4-year degree program. These are currently offered in agricultural plant sciences and an agricultural business program is being developed with the goal of expanding offerings.  

Monterey Peninsula College offers an A.S. Degree under TOP Code 0109.00 - Horticulture, one Certificate of Achievement requiring 16 to less than 30 semester units, and three Certificates of Achievement requiring 8 to less than 16 semester units (Landscape Pest Management, Landscape Irrigation, and Tree Care Specialist). Judy Cutting, Dean of Instruction, Career Education & Workforce Development at Monterey Peninsula College was informed on 3/2/2022 of the development of the Cabrillo Greenhouse and Nursery Management Certificate of Achievement via email and has no objections with Cabrillo moving forward with the submission of the Greenhouse and Nursery of Achievement to BACCC. The labor market demand for TOP Code 0109.00 in the SC-Monterey sub-region is significantly larger than the number of students both colleges can accommodate per academic year.