Climate Farm School for Healthcare Professionals

Enabling clinicians to bring regenerative food systems to their practice

Agriculture, human health and planetary health are inextricably connected. Climate Farm School explores this connection through experiential and traditional learning on farms. Healthcare providers have the opportunity to improve patient outcomes and support food systems transformation by experiencing regenerative agriculture. Our 2025 Green Valley Farm + Mill course (April 14 - April 19th on farm dates) has been approved for 15 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) & Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) credits for healthcare providers that join us on the farm.

What to Expect From Our Courses

  • Before beginning the on-farm week, you will explore our 8 online learning modules. These modules will expand your understanding of the food-climate connection, principles and practices of regenerative agriculture, and avenues for systems change.

    You will complete two assignments during the course to help you envision a transformed food system and develop an action plan for your own life.

    Three live sessions will introduce the instructor team, cohort participants, and provide the opportunity for sharing and support.

  • For 5+ days, you will live in community on a leading ecological farm immersed in food systems learning. You will also visit other farmers and projects in the area working toward equitable and climate resilient food systems transformation.

    You will spend your days working side-by-side in the field and learning from regenerative farmers, soil scientists, ecologists and food systems experts. Several afternoons will be spent in generative facilitated discussion, exploring ideas and concepts as a group.

    In the evening, participants are led by farm-to-table chefs in meal preparation that will tie together concepts from the course before gathering for a daily debrief.

  • A key feature of Climate Farm School is our incredible alumni and educator network. Graduates join an impressive, genuine, diverse, and caring community committed to building a better food system.

    Participants continue to support each other long after the course week ends, starting businesses, helping one another begin new careers, and coming together over food around the world.

  • At the completion of this course, you will be able to:

    • Describe how farming systems and farm conditions impact farmworker and community health, including exposure to disease, chemicals, and physical stressors such as heat

    • Examine how local food systems, institutional purchasing mechanisms, and public health policies can support or undermine public health and sustainable food and farm systems

    • Discuss the core principles of regenerative agriculture

    • Identify opportunities and challenges for advancing regenerative food production from a systems perspective

    • Examine intersections of equity, climate justice, and social wellbeing in regenerating food systems

    • Evaluate emerging evidence on the relationships between soil ecosystems, plant nutrition, the human gut microbiome, and human health and identify areas for future study

    • Apply evidence based practices related to gardening and soil contact to combat burnout and promote mental health

    • Integrate nutrition education and local food systems into total worker health programs and patient care to address diet-related chronic diseases

    • Build connections with fellow accomplished and aspiring changemakers and join a supportive community

    • Identify strategies for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and examine the need for all skillsets in transforming food systems

    • Develop confidence and capacity to engage in the transformation of our food system & ecological regeneration.

  • Our core, 4-week program with 1 week on-farm costs between $2,900 - $3,800. Couples sharing a room receive a reduced rate on lodging. In addition to the course content, this includes food + lodging on the farm. Prices vary based on farm site and accommodations.

    Electing to apply for CME credits for approved courses is an additional $225.

    We offer a limited amount of financial aid, up to 50% of the course cost. Employers and universities have supported participants in our program. We encourage you to inquire about professional development and scholarship funding.

Regenerative agriculture, grounded in practices that mitigate climate change while building healthy soil, has been shown to reduce harms to farm workers, increase nutrient density of food products, and offer important avenues for human connection to land, food, and health. Climate Farm School is an opportunity to weave regenerative principles and systems thinking into medical training and continuing education, while staying on a farm, deepening our ability to understand the interconnectedness of human and planetary health. Climate Farm School offers healing and rejuvenation to medical professionals, while empowering them to give practical and grounded guidance related to patients on diet-related disease, chronic illness, and related mental health challenges.  

-Kris Madsen, MD MPH; Professor, UC Berkeley School of Public Health

Our health depends on the health of our soil and the quality of the food we grow. Understanding all aspects of the food system helps us have a better picture of the root issues that need to be addressed to influence the food and health systems. Each cohort brings together people from many backgrounds looking to learn and understand how they can implement what they learn into their respective industries. Some come wanting a new career path, others to implement what they learn into their own farming venture and everything in between. The learning environment is dynamic, inclusive and creative with an abundance of information and resources for everyone. Come with a purpose and you’re sure to find support, whether within your immediate cohort or from the many connections you make in the greater community. It’s an opportunity to cultivate lifelong friendships and connections to meet your goals.

-Jenny Pandol, RN

Continuing Medical Education Accreditation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the California Medical Association (CMA) through the joint providership of The Center for Occupational and Environmental Health and Climate Farm School. The Center for Occupational and Environmental Health is accredited by the CMA to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The Center for Occupational and Environmental Health designates this blended learning enduring material and live activity for a maximum of 15.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing Accreditation

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 12983, for 15.0 contact hours.

FAQs

  • Climate Farm School is designed for individuals of all backgrounds, including doctors, nurses, current and aspiring food system professionals, investors, tech workers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, marketers, nutritionists, educators and artists among others. The strong intersection between food systems, human health, and planetary health explored in this course is particularly applicable to healthcare professionals who have the ability to immediately integrate their learnings into their practice and advocate for systemic a shift in healthcare that recognizes the importance and benefits of regenerative agriculture.

  • For doctors and nurses, our April Green Valley Farm + Mill is currently the only course approved for CME and BRN credit.

    Other factors that we recommend considering are the timing and location of the course. If there is a farm that is relatively local to you, that is a positive thing to consider as you are more likely to be able to engage in follow up visits or collaboration with the farm if it’s within your regional food system. However, depending on your goals and motivation, learning from a farm that is a bit further away, or international, can provide a great experience as well. One last factor to consider is the farm’s relative areas of expertise. All of our host farms deliver a common ‘core curriculum’ for participants, but each farm has various areas of expertise that they bring on top of that core foundation. Explore the farm-specific pages, which reflect areas of specific expertise for that host farmer.

  • To ensure that our farm partners do not suffer losses due to last-minute cancellations, we have the following policy for participant cancellcations:

    • If you cancel 2 months ahead of the online course start date, you will receive a 100% refund.

    • If you cancel less than 2 months ahead of the online course start date, you will receive a 90% refund

    • If you cancel in less than a month but more than two weeks ahead of the online course start date, you get a 50% refund.

    • If you cancel within two weeks of the online course start date, we will not be able to offer you a refund.

    Though unlikely, it is possible that circumstances could result in the cancellation of a course, or rescinding of an acceptance by either Climate Farm School or a host farm. In this event:

    • Participants will receive a full refund of their course payment

    • We are unable to reimburse for travel or accommodation bookings, and encourage participants where possible to book flexible travel options

  • As long as you’re able to take at least 1 week off from your job for the farm stay, you will be able to participate in the full program. There is limited WiFi available at the farms and the in-person schedule is designed to be flexible so that if you do have to check in on work or take an important meeting, you can do so while living, learning, and working on the farm. If you can’t take time off, there is an all-online version of the course content coming soon. Get in touch with our Terra.do team if you are interested in this option.

  • The host farm sites have comfortable, rustic farmhouse bedrooms with shared bathrooms. There will be clean sheets and towels available, and basic bathroom products but please bring any personal items you need to be comfortable. There are indoor and outdoor showers, and indoor bathrooms as well as composting toilets on many farms. Camping on the farm is available for a lower per-night rate at some host farms.

  • Pricing ranges from $2600 - $3600 based on the host site and accommodation type. Private and shared rooms on the farm range from $3000 - $3600, and camping or offsite range from $2600 - $3000. We strive to make the course as accessible as possible and offer a limited amount of financial aid. We encourage you to apply even if you cannot afford the full course cost and we can explore if financial aid is available.

  • We want this program to work for learners of all stripes, regardless of individual or organizational ability to pay. Please apply—we will make every effort to accommodate the circumstances of qualified students with scholarship funds, within the limitations of ensuring that hard costs of running the program and making payment to farmers are met.

  • Many organizations have learning or professional development budgets for their employees. We encourage you to enquire about and utilize this budget to attend the course, as a number program alumni have done in the past. Climate Farm School can help you get reimbursed for the course by providing an invoice, a certificate, and any other documentation you need. If you have approval from your company, we can also arrange for your company to pay directly.

    Past participants have also received scholarships from their graduate or undergraduate programs, and we encourage applicants to pursue this option.

  • You will receive a suggested packing list upon payment/confirmation of your spot in the course. Comfortable clothes for working outdoors, suitable footwear, and sun protection are key items to bring.