Horticulture
Do you have a passion for plants? Love getting your hands dirty and being outside? If so, why not start a well-paying career in horticulture today?
The Horticulture Program provides you with access to world-class facilities and classes taught by experienced faculty with affordable fees. With a limited investment, you will be on a strong path to advance your career and earning potential. Horticulture jobs are in high demand and pay a living wage in our region.
By taking part in any of our Horticulture classes or working toward one of our 10 Certificates or 5 Associate's Degree you will be prepared for success in fields such as Greenhouse Crop Production, Farm Advisor, Organic Farm Inspector, Hydroponic Food Production, Farmer, Landscape Designer, Seeded Vegetable Transplant Production, Pest Control Advisor, and Marketing & Sales.
Scroll To:
Career Outlook
The industry outlook in Horticulture is strong… and it’s changing every day. With climate change combined with the advancement of technology, the industry needs cross- trained professionals who have a strong view of sustainability, know a lot about a lot of different things, and work well with others. Whether growing food or creating sustainable landscaping, the demand is high with good salaries. For example, Landscape Architects earn an average of $86,437, Precision Ag Technicians earn an average of $42,629, and Soil and Plant Scientists earn an average of $87,068. View current labor market analysis to see more.
What You'll Learn
In addition to gaining hands-on experience, you will learn more about:
Propagation
Organic Food Production
Pest Management
Controlled Environment Agriculture
Sustainable Landscape Design
Container Crop Production or Floriculture
Soil Science
Our Community
We also are a resource for the community with events and volunteer opportunities.
We encourage the community to support the program through donations and purchasing from our Farmers Market booth. The Aptos Farmers Market takes place at Cabrillo every Saturday, 8 - 12. All produce and plants sold at our booth are grown by students. Community members are welcome to visit and stroll through our gardens.
The Center
The Horticulture and Agriculture Technology Center sits on 11 beautiful view acres, overlooking the entire campus and the Monterey Bay region. The Center provides students with an excellent horticultural educational facility and is a focus for community activities. There is a community building with a room for lectures, conferences, meetings and special events. In addition, the community center has a classroom and a learning center. A state-of-the-art nursery includes greenhouses, shade houses, raised beds, and a lab classroom. We also have a CCOF certified Organic farm. Read more about our facilities. Cabrillo College also has collections of California natives, especially those from the Monterey Bay region; plants from the Mediterranean regions of the world; and succulents at the Botanic Gardens.
Ready to Get Started in Horticulture?
Go from Cabrillo to Career with Horticulture!
Cabrillo College Horticulture and Agriculture Technology Center proposes to develop comprehensive organic production curriculum that will prepare the next generation of organic farmers and agriculture professionals. This project will create two new transferable college courses: Organic Fruit Production and Organic Vegetable Production. Each offering 4 units of lecture and laboratory instruction. Additionally, we will develop three hands-on Organic Berry Production lab activities with complete materials lists, teacher guides, and student learning outcomes that can be implemented in diverse educational settings. The project will culminate in a one-day Teaching Organic Farming Summit designed for community college agriculture and horticulture instructors across California. This summit will serve as the public launch of all curriculum materials and provide professional development for educators seeking to integrate organic production content into their programs. The curriculum will be made freely available for adoption by other community colleges, expanding the reach and impact of organic agriculture education throughout California. This initiative directly addresses workforce development needs in organic agriculture while building community among educators committed to training skilled organic producers.