Market Gardener Program

We are nourishing communities through growing and sharing food. Since 2017, the two-acres of land along the North Limestone Corridor has served as an urban farm. From the beginnings, this space was dedicated to creating opportunities for growers to produce nutritious food for the city of Lexington without worrying about the cost of land. A donation can directly impact the growth of programs like the market gardener program, which has supported dozens of new market gardeners.

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Application review and enrollment in late Summer | Hands on training and Site Tours during fall | Workshops during winter | Growing begins in early spring

Applications Open Now! Enrollment begins in August!

It is our goal for the Market Gardener program to equip new and aspiring urban food-focused entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to grow commercially, while nourishing communities and helping to create a robust local food landscape.

You can expect to learn:

  • Food safety practices and guidelines

  • Basic horticultural practices

  • General business planning

    Program Overview:

Throughout September, October and November, participants will dedicate 2 hours a week for hands-on training at the Seedleaf Community Farm as well attending tours at local farms like DreamTime Market Gardens, Salad Days Farm, and others.

Program participants take a break throughout December. This is a great time to utilize the quiet of the season as well as the knowledge, skills, and resources gleaned through the fall to dream up and focus on planning for future spring operations.

Throughout January and February, the program will continue to meet for 2 hours a week for indoor workshops covering topics such as pest identification with the UK extension office, seed selection from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and more. The program concludes with a small graduation potluck in March. Once you complete the training portions of the program, you will have the option to grow on a parcel of land at the Community Farm. 

Each year our indoor workshops vary. A sample of some of our previous workshops are below:

  • Fruit Production with Dr. John Strang

  • Selling at the Farmer’s Market with Ryan Burnette

  • Selling produce to restaurants and kitchens with Leandra Forman

  • How to upcycle food waste into compost with Christine Smith

  • Business Planning and Marketing with Olivia Vogel and Spencer Guinn of KCARD

  • No-till farming with Jesse Frost and Hannah Crabtree

  • Diversifying Production with chickens with Travis Robinson

  • Seedkeeping with Chris Keeve

  • Caring for the Grower with Monet Proctor and Megan Pillsbury

  • Selling to restaurants, season extension, and more with Zach Selby

Field Trip Site Hosts of the Market Gardener Program

Logo for Salad Days Farm with green and white text on a brown background.
Logo for Dreamtime Market Gardens with illustrations of various vegetables and plants
Logo for Rough Draft Farm featuring a carrot with a green leafy top and stylized text.

… and more!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • This is a year long process of guiding participants through basic horticultural practices, food safety, and general business planning.

    We start in September and the formal part of the program ends in March. Program graduates who wish to rent a parcel of land with Seedleaf will have the option to grow throughout the Summer with continued support in selling to outlets like the Lexington Farmers Market.

  • Participants meet weekly starting in September with the month of Decemeber off. This includes 24 hours of hands-on field training and 3 farm visits in the fall (12 sessions), 24 hours of workshops in the winter (12 sessions), and a 24-week market season throughout summer.

    The 2025-26 cohort will meet on Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00 pm.

  • Participants are paid a small stipend to support their participation in the program. In the spring season, they are given sections of land for their operations to apply what they have learned during the fall/winter months. This support from Seedleaf helps new market gardeners take risks and learn without the fear of financial ruin. Market gardeners keep all proceeds earned from their efforts.

  • Anyone 18+ who lives in Fayette County is welcome to apply while applications are open.

    This program seeks to create a diverse cadre of growers who are able to supply Lexington communities, markets, and restaurants with fresh, local produce.

  • Throughout the program, growers receive instruction, support, and connection to local market outlets for selling their produce. Seedleaf has partnered with Lexington Farmers Market to provide a fully supported market booth for growers to sell their produce on Sunday mornings at the Southland Drive Farmers Market from May to October.

  • Please feel welcome to reach out to farm@seedleaf.org for any further questions.

What Market Gardener Alumni are saying…

  • Grow with Mo: A woman holding fresh plants and vegetables in an outdoor garden setting, smiling and wearing sunglasses and a colorful shirt, with a product label in hand, accompanied by a circle floral decoration.
  • A promotional sign for Bitter Melon Farms featuring a quote about sustainable farming from Natasha, with a photo of a woman holding fresh herbs at an outdoor market stand. The sign lists farm products such as eggs, flowers, veggies, and herbs, and includes the farm's Instagram handle @bittermelonfarms and location Lexington, KY.
  • A woman wearing a Kentucky Wildcat sweatshirt and orange cap is working in a garden with a rake or garden tool, in a grassy backyard with trees and a house in the background.
  • A promotional poster for Two Suns Farm featuring a smiling person wearing glasses and a gray T-shirt holding a container of cherry tomatoes. The poster includes a description about growing food to provide access to fresh produce, a signature from Sharon, and details about the farm's products, Instagram handle @twosunsfarm, and location in Lexington, Kentucky.
  • A promotional graphic for Blue Handed Hummingbird featuring a photograph of a person using a motorized tiller in a garden, with text introducing Megan, a food system localizer, and listing products like vegetables, fruit, herbs, and more. The graphic includes an Instagram handle and location in Lexington, KY.
  • A digital graphic promoting Elly Bay Farms featuring a woman smiling next to a crate of produce. The text emphasizes growing healthy foods for gut health with a focus on fresh veggies and herbs, located in Lexington and Winchester.
  • Photograph of a woman gardening on a farm, with text describing her background and farm products, including fresh eggs, veggies, herbs, and more, located in Lexington, KY. Social media handle @rougueroosterfarm is also visible.
  • Information about the Great Eggspectation Chicken Run event, featuring a woman in a green Seedleaf t-shirt standing at a market stall with eggs and flowers, with details about her gardening activities and location in Lexington, Kentucky.