A Look Back at Summer 2026 with the Orchard for ALL! Team

The 2026 Summer Apprenticeship Program was a six-week experience filled with hands-on learning, environmental education, and personal growth for our four apprentices and facilitators. Throughout the program, apprentices explored environmental justice, agriculture, tree care, food systems, and community resilience while gaining practical skills they can carry forward.

We began by discussing environmental justice, exploring topics such as food deserts, redlining, pollution, and efforts to address climate change. These conversations helped apprentices understand how environmental issues affect communities and how individuals can contribute to meaningful change.

We then moved into tool and workplace safety, learning how to properly and safely use tools for pruning and caring for fruit trees. Apprentices practiced these skills directly in our orchard, learning how proper pruning and maintenance can support healthier trees and better fruit production.

The program continued with the fundamentals of trees and fruit trees, including the differences between evergreen and deciduous trees and the unique growing, pruning, and environmental needs of different fruit tree varieties. We connected these lessons to the trees commonly grown in our local environment.

A field trip to the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden gave apprentices an opportunity to see these concepts in action. They explored different environmental conditions, including creeks, grasslands, shaded tree areas, desert-like environments, and greenhouses that recreate tropical climates. This experience demonstrated how weather, soil, moisture, and other environmental factors influence plant growth and survival.

Apprentices also learned about fruit harvesting, storage, food safety, and proper food handling, while connecting soil health and production to successful fruit production. Lessons on pollinators and pests further helped apprentices understand the important relationships between insects, trees, and food systems. This pollinator class was also particularly special because it was led by a community member whom we assist annually with their tree care and harvest. 

As the program progressed, apprentices explored tree propagation and grafting. They practiced making cuttings and propagating plants, including working with native fruiting blackberry cuttings. They also participated in a hands-on grafting lesson led by a Planting Justice Facilitator, where they learned how to graft onto an avocado and were able to practice their newly learned skills on our pear trees at the North Richmond Farm.

Another highlight was our field trip to the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, where apprentices worked alongside agriculture educators and learned new sustainable agriculture practices, including accessible and low-cost methods for creating compost teas.

As the six-week program came to an end, apprentices reflected on everything they had learned and had the opportunity to see the results of their work in the orchard. Trees they had pruned and cared for earlier in the program had already begun showing the benefits of their efforts, giving them a tangible example of how consistent care and knowledge can create lasting change.

We are especially proud of all four of our apprentices for their commitment, curiosity, and willingness to continue learning throughout the program. Their dedication went beyond simply completing an apprenticeship. They continued to contribute their time, energy, and knowledge to the larger mission of Urban Tilth and its Orchard for All program, helping advance our collective goal of creating healthier communities, strengthening local food systems, increasing environmental knowledge, and connecting people to the land.

Their participation represents the kind of community engagement and leadership that makes the Orchard for All program meaningful. We are proud to see each apprentice take an active role in learning, contributing, and becoming part of a larger movement toward environmental stewardship and community empowerment.

The program concluded with a celebratory potluck and post-test, allowing apprentices to reflect on their growth since completing their initial pre-test. Family and friends joined us for an end-of-program celebration and ceremony, where the apprentices were recognized for their hard work and dedication.

Each apprentice received a certificate of completion, an individual award recognizing the qualities and personality they brought to the program, and a bouquet of flowers as a symbol of their growth and accomplishments.

As we celebrated the completion of the 2026 Summer Apprenticeship, we also celebrated the continued work and potential of these four young leaders. We are grateful for everything they contributed to our orchard, our community, and the mission of Urban Tilth. We wish them continued success as they carry the knowledge, skills, and experiences from this program into their future opportunities.

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