program
The BINGN Apprenticeship Program provides a unique learning experience; giving the next generation the opportunity to grow and learn from established farmers and experts through a combination of long-term internships, seminars and mentorship.
building a future for farming
Farms are closing at a worrying rate across Europe. While many young people are interested in farming, barriers such as access to land and pressure to produce more and more for less and less is threatening the future of small scale farming.
BINGN aims to create a different paradigm than the one which tells us that the future is industrial, genetically modified and uniform.
how we work
The BINGN apprenticeship program is open to residents of the Nordic and other EU/EES countries. The program begins in March and ends in December of the third year. Some previous experience in farming or gardening is preferable but not an absolute requirement for applicants.
Internship
Learning with guidance from experienced farmers at the BINGN base farm and farms across the Nordic countries.
Seminars
Learning from teachers, farm-visits and fellow students on the base farm and at different locations across the Nordic countries.
Self-Reflection & Mentorship
Self-directed learning through portfolio, daily logbook, frequent reflection sessions and mentoring.
where we study
The first year of the BINGN Apprenticeship Program takes place in Norway on two nieghbouring farms, Fokhol Gård and Alm Østre, where the students live, work and learn together.
During the second and third year students will find their own internship farms in any of the Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland – and will come together for seminars in different locations and countries throughout the year.
During the apprenticeship program, students will visit around 60 farms, gathering a broad range of impressions and knowledge.
curriculum
BINGN is an internship program integrating comprehensive farming experience with on-farm teaching, contributor-led content and peer to peer learning. The BINGN curriculum covers specific subjects such as soil science & soil cultivation, plant cultivation, animal husbandry, machinery, farm-economics, food processing, agricultural history & politics.
In biodynamic agriculture the farm is considered a living organism that is part of its surrounding and place as a whole. The curriculum therefore also contains holistic subjects such as astronomy, spiritual science, goetheanistic observation and arts.