From Erica Frenay, Beginning Farmer Project, Cornell Small Farm Program (ejf5@cornell.edu):
Late Fall through Winter and early Spring is a great time for farmers to rest, slow down the frenetic pace (at least somewhat), and build new skills for the coming growing season. If you sign up for an online course through the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project, you don’t even need to leave your home to connect with other farmers, work on your farm plans, and gain practical tips.
Are there courses for me? From aspiring to experienced farmers, there is a course for nearly everyone. If you’re just getting started exploring farming as a career, BF 101: Starting at Square One and BF 102: Markets and Profits, were designed with you in mind. For those with at least a few years of farm management experience, check out BF 204: QuickBooks for Farmers and BF 203: Holistic Financial Planning to take your skills to the next level. There’s a handy chart on our course homepage to direct you to the right courses for your experience level.
What are the courses like? All of our 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.
These courses are part of the line-up of 16 online courses offered this Fall, Winter and Spring by the Cornell Small Farms Program. 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 for 2015-2016.
Courses often fill very quickly, so don’t miss your chance to sign up today!