The Urban Agriculture & Food Systems Training Program is GrowGood’s on-the-job training program.

The Training Program provides up to 300-hours of employment for individuals with employment barriers (such as homelessness, justice-involvement, military status, co-occurring disorders).

GrowGood works with our social service partners for referrals into the program (The Bell Shelter & the VA). Once accepted into the program, GrowGood provides a human-centric approach to employment, working with the individuals and their case managers to ensure successful employment while at GrowGood.

Through the program, the Trainees are given an opportunity to learn new & transferrable skills while gaining a comprehensive understanding of urban agriculture & food systems, and earning income.

New in 2026, we are launching an externship program, enabling Trainees to explore Food Systems careers through a paid 20-hour skills-based learning externship at partner sites in Los Angeles.

Specialized Veterans Workforce Development Program

*Mental Health Thermometer that Veteran Trainees complete pre- and post-shift.*

Our specialized Veterans program operates at the Veterans Garden, where we partner with the VA’s Whole Health Program to support Veterans’ overall well-being. Through this collaboration, we measure mental health indicators and explore how participation in the program can positively impact Veterans experiencing PTSD and other effects of military service.

Veterans also have the option to co-enroll in Whole Health Coaching, which provides additional mental and physical health support alongside their participation in the program.