Fingerlakespermaculture mailing list

[Michael Burns <michael AT fingerlakespermaculture.org>]

From: Violet Stone <vws7 AT cornell.edu>

NEWS FROM THE SMALL FARMS PROGRAM AT CORNELL

TOPIC:          Fall Online Courses for Beginning Farmers Open for  
Registration!
DATE:           For immediate release, August 22nd, 2011
CONTACT:     Violet Stone at 607-255-9227 or vws7 AT cornell.edu
ONLINE:        www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/news/

Fall Online Courses for Beginning Farmers Open for Registration!

The growing season is still in full swing, but here at the Northeast  
Beginning Farmer Project, we're already thinking about "education  
season". This Fall we'll be offering 7 online courses - including 4  
new topics - to help you continue your farming education. As always,  
our courses are taught by experienced Cooperative Extension educators,  
farmers, and other specialists. Courses are typically 6 weeks long,  
cost $175, and include both real-time meetings (online webinars) and  
on-your-own time reading and activities. We do not offer any academic  
credit, but those who successfully complete a course will receive a  
certificate and are also eligible for Farm Service Agency (FSA)  
borrower training credit, which can improve eligibility to receive a  
low-interest FSA loan. Read more.... http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses/

We've got several courses that will help you build the "invisible  
infrastructure" of your farm business:
        •
Our introductory-level course for those still in the exploring and  
early planning stages, BF 101: Square One, is back, to help you get  
clear about your goals, skills, and available resources.
        •
If you're well beyond that stage and ready to write a full business  
plan, sign up for the BF 202: Planning to Stay in Business course,  
which will help you prepare to seek funding from banks and other lenders
        •
Need some guidance setting up financial recordkeeping systems? Then BF  
104: Financial Records is for you.

On the production side, we offer:
        •
BF 120: Veggie Farming - back by popular demand, this jam-packed  
course has now been divided into two parts (with BF 121 being offered  
in January). BF 120 covers the planning, budgeting, site selection,  
and planting, while BF 121 will pick up where BF 120 leaves off and  
take you through considerations in season-long care, harvest, and  
marketing.
        •
Raising poultry is a popular enterprise for many small farmers, so  
this Fall we're introducing a new course, BF 130: Poultry Production,  
to cover the basic requirements of producing and profiting from  
chickens, ducks, and turkeys.
        •
Before you sink a lot of money into equipment, consider taking BF 105:  
Machinery and Equipment, another new course designed to help you weigh  
your options and make smart decisions about what's best for your farm  
scale and situation.
        •
BF 110: Soil Health returns again this Fall to introduce growers at  
all levels of experience to practical on-farm applications of soil  
health concepts. This course will again incorporate an optional in- 
person field day at an amazing farm in Northern NY that will  
demonstrate improvement of soil health on a working farm.
To learn more about each course, please visit http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses 
. From this site you can see our full calendar of courses, learn more  
about our instructors, see answers to Frequently Asked Questions, read  
details for each course, and even visit a sample online course.

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

Development of new online courses has been partially funded by the  
USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, project #2009-49400-05878.  
Course coordination is provided by the Cornell Small Farms Program, http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu 
.

----------------
Violet Stone
Cornell Small Farms Program
NY SARE Coordinator
607-255-9227
vws7 AT cornell.edu



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