Join our Herbal Apprenticeship Program and immerse yourself in the world of plant medicine!
The City Herbal Apprenticeship Program is for anyone who wants to learn how to grow, identify, harvest, use, and apply herbs in a hands-on, collective setting. As an herbal apprentice, you will gain experience tending to our perennial garden, where we cultivate and care for a variety of medicinal plants, and will learn how to make your own herbal medicines, such as tea blends, tinctures, glycerites, salves, oils, and more. You’ll also attend classes led by experienced herbalists who will teach you about the art and science of herbalism, from botany and plant identification, to physiology and formulation.
Rooted in an anti-oppressive framework, we aim to create a safe and supportive learning environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and community growth. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, you will receive a certificate that recognizes your acquired skills and knowledge as an herbal apprentice.
If you are passionate about plants and want to deepen your knowledge of medicinal herbs, this program is for you!
Apprenticeship Hours
All apprentices are expected to fulfill 60 hours of apprenticeship in addition to attending eleven day-long Friday classes. Apprenticeship hours are made up of weekly garden shifts which includes time spent tending to our perennial garden, delving into materia medicas, and making herbal transformations as a group. Apprentices must commit to the weekly garden shift for the entire season. This year’s garden shifts are on Thursdays from 1:00pm – 4:30pm.
Please note:
✷ Our first garden shift is Thursday June 4 the week after our first class (Friday May 29).
✷ There will be two weeks of vacation time from July 19-25 and from Aug 30-Sept 5 during which there will be no garden shifts or classes.
✷ The final garden shift of the season is Thursday Oct 15.
Classes
In addition to the weekly garden shift, apprentices will attend classes led by experienced herbalists. These classes cover how herbs support our body systems and promote holistic health and well-being, as well as botany, plant identification, Ayurveda and more!
Classes will take place on Fridays from 10:00am – 2:30pm. The dates of this year’s Friday classes are:
May 29 – Introduction: Herbalism, Anti-oppression & Herbal Vocabulary
June 12 – Botany/Plant Identification
July 3 – Immune System
July 17 – Respiratory & Digestive Systems
July 31 – Intro to Ayurveda
Aug 14 – Nervous System
Aug 28 – Cardiovascular System
Sept 11 – Generative & Hormonal Health
Sept 25 – Ayurveda Hands-on Session
Oct 9 – Herbal Safety, Contraindications & Interactions
Oct 16 – Winter Remedies Hands-on Session
Please note: Class dates are subject to change, but apprentices will be given ample notice if they do.
Student-Led Workshop/Project
This is a very exciting and important part of the program. It’s where the apprentices get to experience the excitement of sharing knowledge with people who want to learn more about herbalism! All apprentices will host a workshop or create an agreed-upon project in the early Fall. Each apprentice will choose a topic related to herbalism that is of interest to them and will design and facilitate a workshop/project that presents this topic. Workshops will be offered free of charge and will be open to community to attend, and may be hosted on our sites or at a local community organization. Apprentices have the option of giving workshops alone or in a small group. Don’t be afraid, this is a super fun part of the program!
How to Apply
There are three steps to the application process:
1. Fill out the application form and send us your CV and a brief letter of intent (to cityherbal.ap@gmail.com) by May 15, 2026 at 11:59PM.
2. Meet with the coordinator for an interview/information session in late May.
3. If accepted, confirm your participation and make your payment by the agreed upon deadline.
Program Fees
We offer sliding scale pricing that allows you to pay what you can based on your income and financial situation. We believe that everyone deserves to learn about herbal medicine regardless of their economic status.
There are three tiers to our sliding scale:
Resourced Price – $675
Standard Price – $575
Reduced Price – $450
*Current Concordia students benefit from a $50 discount off of any tier.
Details on our sliding scale tiers:
Learn more about our sliding scale and where you might land on it here:
Resourced Price – $675
Suggested for those who can comfortably meet their basic needs, own their home or property, own or lease a car, are employed or do not need to work, have access to financial savings, have expendable income, can afford to take a vacation.
Standard Price – $575
Suggested for those who may stress about meeting their basic needs but still regularly achieve them, may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of their basic needs, own or rent their home, own or lease a car, are employed, might have access to financial savings, might have expendable income, can take a vacation annually or every few years without financial burden.
Reduced Price – $450
Suggested for those who may frequently stress about meeting their basic needs, have debt and it sometimes prohibits them from meeting their basic needs, may rent their home or have unstable housing, are unemployed or underemployed, have no access to savings, have no or very little expendable income, cannot afford a vacation or have the ability to take time off without financial burden.
***Our sliding scale is inspired by the Green Bottle model. Developed by community healing practitioner Alexis J. Cunningfolk, the Green Bottle Method is an economic justice tool that enables participants to adjust payment based on access to resources.***
Apprentices may pay all at once, or in two equal installments – the first installment is due by May 29 to secure your place in the program. The second installment is due by July 3. Payments can be made by cash, e-transfer, or cheque. Any cancellation up to and including the start date will be fully refunded. Cancellation after this date will not be refunded.
What do the program fees cover? The fees covers the cost of the workshops, materials, supplies apprentices may take home, as well as the training you will receive from our teachers.
We acknowledge that our gardens at Loyola Farm, and Concordia University, are located on unceded Indigenous lands and give honor and gratitude to those who stewarded and continue to steward these lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters of Tiohtià:ke/so-called Montreal, which is historically known as a gathering place for many other Indigenous nations including the Huron/Wendat, the Abenaki, and the Anishinaabeg peoples.
10% of CHAP program fee payments are donated to BIPOC-led initiatives and Indigenous Land Back projects on Turtle Island.
Accessibility
Garden shifts take place outdoors in the perennial garden on uneven terrain, as well as inside the TB Building (our ‘‘homebase’’ on the farm). There are flights of stairs located in the front of the TB Building (6 steps with handrail) and in the back of the building (8 steps with handrail). The TB Building is not wheelchair accessible.
Mutual Respect
As a group we will develop a group agreement during the first garden shift to define how we want to learn together, however we have a zero tolerance policy for harassment, inclusive of racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia (etc). Our program is meant to be a space where we can learn together, so we ask for a commitment to mutual respect.
Concordia Greenhouse Project 