Register Now for Learning Opportunities in the New Year
The new season of online courses is almost halfway through, and now’s the time to register for our upcoming block three courses which begin in the new year.
Our suite of online courses is offered on a user-friendly platform, which grants registrants permanent access to their course content. Also, courses have tiered pricing based on household size and income, to make the courses more affordable and equitable for everyone.
Registration is open for all courses, with live content starting in January 2021 for our third block of courses.
Exploring Markets and Profits
Thursdays: January 14 – February 18, 2021
Have an idea for a farm enterprise but not sure if it’s feasible? This course will help you explore the potential markets and profitability of your ideas, picking up where BF 101: Starting at Square One (not a prerequisite) left off.
Holistic Financial Planning
Mondays: January 11 – February 15, 2021
If you’ve been struggling to make your farm operation profitable without driving yourself into the ground, this financial planning course is for you. You will learn how to make financial decisions toward farm and family values and goals.
Introduction to Beekeeping
Tuesdays: January 12 – March 2, 2021
Whether you are currently keeping honey bees or are considering them for your farm, a basic knowledge of bee biology, diseases, pests, and setting up your colony are essential for success. This 8-week course will give you real-world experiences paired with academic concepts.
Introduction to Tree Fruit Production
Wednesdays: January 13 – February 17, 2021
Tree fruit are an important component of the agricultural and homeowner landscape. This course trains beginning tree fruit growers in fundamental concepts in orchard planning and management.
Season Extension with High Tunnels
Tuesdays: January 12 – February 16, 2021
Adding weeks to your growing season can mean attaining a premium for having products available well before (or long after) other local growers. This course will introduce you to unheated plastic-covered “high tunnels,” covering cost, management and more.
Sheep Production
Thursdays: January 14 – February 18, 2021
Have sheep or thinking about getting a flock? Producers of all experience levels will find something for them in this lively, wide-ranging course. There is no one right way to raise sheep — this course covers many of these different options.
Social Media & Online Marketing
Thursdays: January 14 – February 11, 2021
Are you struggling with questions like what do hashtags do, how to start selling online, are webpages still useful, and more? This new, 5-week course is designed to improve your understanding of social media, online marketing ideas, and tools that may increase sales and increase awareness about your business.
Vegetable Production II
Wednesdays: January 13 – February 17, 2021
This course continues where BF 120: Vegetable Production I (not a prerequisite) ends, covering vegetable production from transplanting to harvest, including: in-season fertility, integrated pest management, weed control, harvesting, and marketing.
Woodland Mushroom Cultivation
Tuesdays: January 12 – February 16, 2021
With a bit of practice, mushrooms can be easily grown in the woods on many products. This course trains new and experienced farmers in the background, techniques, and economics of farm-scale woodland mushroom production.
Writing a Business Plan
Mondays: January 11 – February 15, 2021
Arm yourself with a business plan and you will have a guide to aid your farm decision-making and demonstrate to yourself and your family that your ideas are feasible. This course is designed to help you build your plan, including developing financial statements.
Our program offers more than 20 online courses to help farmers improve their technical and business skills. These courses cover a range of topics any farmer needs to succeed, such as farm business, soil health, indoor mushroom production, grazing management, and so much more. Experienced farmers and extension educators guide students through course content, including weekly live webinars, videos, and resources.
The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in Teachable, our online course platform. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the interface of the course for a dedicated time slot each year to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from presenters and ask questions in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing.
You can browse all of our course offerings on our website.
