Winter is a great time for farmers to rest, slow down the pace, and build new skills for the coming growing season. The Cornell Small Farms Program is pleased to announce the winter roster of online courses available through its Northeast Beginning Farmer Project. These courses help farmers learn from the latest research-based education  

Since 2006, the program has offered high quality, collaborative learning environments online and each year educates hundreds of beginning and established farmers through these courses.

Are there courses for me? From aspiring to experienced farmers, there is a course for nearly everyone. There’s a handy chart on the course homepage to direct you to the right courses for your experience level.

What are the courses like? All courses consist of weekly real-time webinars followed by homework, readings, and discussions on your own time in an online setting. If you aren’t able to attend the live webinars, they are always recorded for later viewing.

Qualify for a 0% interest loan! Participants who complete all requirements of one or more online courses are eligible to be endorsed for a 0% interest loan of up to $10,000 through Kiva Zip.   

Each course is $200, but up to 4 people from the same farm may participate without paying extra. See the course description page for more on the course learning objectives, instructors, and outline

 

Learn which courses would be best for you, read about our team of experienced instructors, see answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and view the calendar of course offerings.

  Courses often fill very quickly, so don’t miss your chance to sign up today!  

Winter 2016 Online Course List

BF 102: Markets and Profits – Exploring the Feasibility of Your Farming Ideas — Jan 14 – Feb 28

BF 120: Veggie Farming – From Planning to Planting — Jan. 13 – Feb. 17

BF 140: Small-scale Organic Grain Production – Is it Right for Your Farm? — Jan 19 – Feb 23

 

BF 151: Intro to Maple Syrup Production — Jan 12 – Feb. 16

 

BF 201: Effective Marketing – Sell Smarter, Not Harder — Jan 11 – Feb 21

BF 203: Holistic Financial Planning – Building Profit into the Picture — Jan 20 – Feb 24

 

BF 231: Grazing Management – Improving Your Triple Bottom Line — Jan 14 – Feb 18

BF 121: Veggie Farming – From Season-Long Care to Market — Feb 24 – Mar 23

BF 150: Farm-Scale Mushroom Production – For Fun and Profit — Feb 23 – March 29

BF 202: Planning to Stay in Business – Writing Your Business Plan — Feb 4 – March 10  

BF 103: Taking Care of Business – Understanding the Business, Regulatory, and Tax Implications of Your Farm — Mar 7 – Apr 11

BF 220: Season Extension with High Tunnels – Know Before You Grow — Mar 22 – Apr 19

Full course list and descriptions

For more information contact: 
Erica Frenay, Online Course Coordinator,  [email protected]
Steve Gabriel, Online Course Support,  [email protected]