October 21 – Deadline for Applying for a Block 2 Online Course Veterans Scholarship

Veterans are eligible to receive one scholarship per course season (September through March). These scholarships support a NYS veteran’s enrollment into one of the Cornell Small Farms online courses and may cover part or all of the course cost. Veterans should be prepared to demonstrate how the course they select will support their current farm operation or future agricultural goals. Active participation in the course is required, and recipients must fulfill all course requirements, including attendance of Zoom sessions, engaging with their course on the Teachable platform, and submitting a course completion certificate to Farm Ops. We will also ask for feedback on the impact the course and its contents had on your agricultural pursuits over a 1-10 year period. These scholarships are competitive, and incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of decisions within five business days of the deadline, allowing time to enroll independently if not selected.

Block 2 courses begin the week of November 3rd and run through December. The deadline to apply for a scholarship for a Block 2 course is October 21st. See a list of Block 2 courses below:

BF 120: Vegetable Production I. This course helps new and aspiring vegetable producers answer basic questions about site, soil and planning up through planting. Topics covered include soil health, crop layout and rotation, equipment, and financial aspects of vegetable production.

BF 122: Berry Production. If you’re exploring the idea of adding berries and bramble fruits to your farm, this course will help you consider all the aspects of this decision, from varieties and site selection all the way through profit potential and marketing.

BF 130: Poultry Production. This course will help you get started with all the basic information to build a successful poultry enterprise.

BF 151: Outdoor Mushroom Cultivation. This course trains new and experienced farmers in the background, techniques, and economics of outdoor mushroom production. Students will learn the basic biology of mushrooms, cultivation techniques for shiitake, oyster, lions mane, and other easy to grow mushrooms, proper conditions for fruiting outdoors, managing pests and other issues, and harvesting and marketing strategies.

BF 152: Intro to Maple Syrup Production. This course explores the range possibilities of maple sugaring on your land – be it for supplemental income or for your livelihood. Also discussed are “alternative” trees for production, including Birch and Black Walnut. The content presented assumes the student has little past knowledge of sugaring, but a background in agriculture or forestry will be very helpful.

BF 170: Cut Flower Production. This course will introduce you to the topics, resources and questions you’ll need to answer if you intend to operate a flower farm or add flower production as one component of an established business.

Please reach out to Veterans Assistant: Tess Noble Strohm with any questions. APPLY HERE.