Crop Production Course
These 8-week courses cover essential topics related to sustainable crop production, enablling participants to grow food while caring for the soil at the farm or in the garden. We'll be offering two versions of this comprehensive course this year, one in-person (every other week) and one online. The courses will cover the same basic material (see below) but one is has more hands-on elements here at the farm while the other can be fully enjoyed remotely.
In the On-farm or Online course 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
2022 Course Details:
Online Session (July 14, 2022 – Sept 1, 2022)
Meeting place and time: Online each Thursday, 5:00-6:30 p.m.
This online version of the class will meet on Zoom every Thursday evening (from 5:00 pm- 6:30 pm) for eight weeks. In addition to the synchronous online classes, participants are welcome to participate in optional on-farm experiential learning opportunities at Moraine Farm in Beverly.
In-Person Session (Dates TBD)
Meeting place and time: Moraine Farm (Beverly, MA) meeting time TBD (Please share prefered days/times if interested)
We plan to offer an On-Farm version of this course at Moraine Farm in Beverly, MA, but we are in the process of determining what days/times work best for students. If you're interested in the on-farm version of the this course, please email benjamin.zoba@tufts.edu and share which time would work best with your schedule: a weekday morning, a weekday evening, or a saturday morning.
In addition to the hands-on classes, we will have supplemental online material to be explored asynchronously between in-person gatherings. Other optional on-farm work-and-learn opportunities will be available as well.
Steps to enroll:
1. Register via this Crop Production Workshop Registration Form
2. Complete payment here for the Online Session and if you're interested in the On-Farm Course, please email benjamin.zoba@tufts.edu.
Course cost: $395. Scholarships for a 50% discount off the course tuition are available. See below for more details.
On-farm location when applicable: New Entry at Moraine Farm, 733 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA
Scholarships: We are able to offer scholarships to individuals that meet certain criteria.
Those eligible for a scholarship will received a 50% discount code to be applied during the payment process. Scholarship eligibility determinations will be made within a week of application. You may apply for a scholarship using the registration form.