If you’re a new farmer and you want to learn more about diversifying or expanding your farm enterprise, consider enrolling in a new 9-week, online farming course beginning Wednesday, March 19, 2008.
The NY Beginning Farmer Project has developed a 9-week online course.
The course will benefit participants from a diversity of backgrounds, from those just exploring a new idea to those seeking to diversify or expand existing farm operations.
More Learning Options…
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Here’s more about the course:
- Course Content
Drawn from a stand-alone, publicly accessible website, while the course (and all its activities, forums, and homework assignments) is housed in a virtual “classroom” that can only be entered by registered participants. - Lesson Plan
Similar to other new farmer trainings and curricula, starting with an assessment of goals and resources, moving through marketing, enterprise selection and environmental stewardship practices, and ending with taking a hard look at profit potential and business planning. The final week ends May 21 with a quiz and review. - Discussion and Feedback
Participants interact with each other through discussion forums, post questions for the instructors, collect resources relevant to each lesson, and complete activities like helping a fictional new farmer make decisions about his business. - Topics Covered
Goals, skills and resources, marketing, evaluating land, equipment and facilities, choosing an enterprise, land stewardship, profitability, regulations, taxes and legal issues. - Real-life Advice
Opportunities to interact with agricultural entrepreneurs from around the state, to get feedback and offer input on other ideas and issues. - Course Size
Limited–so call soon to reserve a spot. - Cost:
$200 with $50 due at registration.
The NY Beginning Farmer Project was funded by the NY Farm Viability Institute and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
