Organic Farm and Food Systems Practicum

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Taylor in Education, Farming, Internet Resources, Local Food, Management, Organic, Sustainable Agriculture, Training Programs, Workshops // 0 Comments

Beginning Farmer Crop Production Workshop Series – Organic Farming and Food Systems Practicum from New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and Tufts University – Summer 2020

Are you interested in starting your own farm business but need to learn technical skills to get started, the Crop Production Workshop Series is for you!

Available now through Tufts University as the “Organic Farming and Food Systems Practicum.”

Throughout the workshops in this series you will learn how to:

Grow a diversity of fruits and vegetables for your home and/or business
Identify sustainable agriculture practices
Create a crop plan
Manage a greenhouse
Buy and maintain farm equipment and machinery
Set up a drip irrigation system
Manage soil nutrients
Manage weeds and use cover crops
Identify pests and implement pest management strategies
Learn how to prepare crops for market and comply with food safety regulations
Connect with agencies that provide services for new farmers

Workshop Details:

There are two 5-week long workshops left in the series. Click on workshop titles below to enroll.

NUTR 0106: Organic Farming and Food Systems Practicum 2: Summer Management (6/30/20—7/28/20)

Meeting place and time: Online each Tuesday, 4:00-5:30 p.m.

Workshop participants will learn basic horticulture principles and practices associated with organic vegetable production while exploring the management of pests and disease, nutrients, and weeds in an organic farming operation. Additional themes of this workshop explore the use of equipment and tools across different scales of farming operations and the different labor demands of farming operations in conventional and organic production.

NUTR 0107: Organic Farming and Food Systems Practicum 3: Fall Harvest (8/11—9/8/20)

Meeting place and time: Online each Tuesday, 4:00-5:30 p.m.

Workshop participants will learn basic horticulture principles and practices associated with organic vegetable production while exploring how to harvest, wash, and pack vegetables for a variety of local market outlets. In this peak part of the season, we will be working with the New Entry Food Hub to explore aggregation and distribution of local produce, in addition to working in the field to harvest and maintain crops. Additional themes will focus on food safety and post-harvest handling.

Enroll for “Summer Management” by clicking here!

Further instructions: To enroll in any of the workshops, click on the titles above and proceed to checkout. You will need to log in or create an account to complete the registration process.

Crop Production Workshop Series Cost: $395 plus one-time $65 registration fee. Scholarships available. See below for more details.

On-farm location: New Entry at Moraine Farm, 733 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA

Crop Production Workshop Series Scholarships: We are able to offer scholarships to individuals that meet certain criteria. Please submit this form to apply for a sholarship: https://www.tfaforms.com/4821096

Those eligible for a scholarship will received a 50% discount code to be applied during the registration process. Scholarship eligibility determinations will be made within 2-business days.

Questions? E-mail Kevin Cody at kevin.cody@tufts.edu or call (978) 529-2362.