Upcoming Online Courses and General Info
See All Courses for full list and descriptions of courses we offer, and see online course FAQs for information about what to expect
Next Course Topics and Date
We do not offer online courses during the growing season at this time. Please check back in the late Summer or early Fall as registration will begin for our "Taking Stock: Assessing Your Resources and Choosing a Farm Enterprise" course in early September 2010. The course itself will begin in mid-October.
Registration
Courses are $150 each. Courses are open to anyone, but we have a limited number of out-of-state spots. We tend to focus on a NY audience because we can best connect NY farmers to their local service providers. If you plan to farm outside of NY, please email ejf5@cornell.edu before registering to be sure there is an out-of-state spot open.
General Information
You can utilize the lessons on this website freely. But if you want to "meet" other new farmers and share ideas and helpful resources with each other, and ask questions of experienced ag educators, you might enjoy and feel more confident about your planning by taking one of our online courses.
Courses are typically 5-6 weeks long and take place in a virtual "classroom". Once a week, the instructors will introduce a new lesson. When you log into the course you'll see materials to read and usually an assignment or discussion topic. You can complete the work anytime during the week. If a live seminar is scheduled, you'll be given a link to click at a particular time and date (typically a weekday evening). If you cannot make it, a recording of the seminar will be posted for you to review later.
Computer Requirements
You do not need any particular operating system or software, but you should have a familiarity with the functions of your computer. The more comfortable you are with new technology and distance learning, the more you will get out of the course. A basic dial-up connection should suffice, but you are likely to have some difficulties and your experience will be more enjoyable with a DSL or Cable modem.
