000The Urban Agriculture Certificate is a yearlong experience that combines classroom learning with field trips to prepare urban agriculture leaders for success with their project.
Begins on Wednesday, November 2 at 6 p.m
Urban Agriculture Certificate participants will:
• Receive in-depth instruction for urban organic crop production—from farm design through harvest techniques
• Clarify their project vision and strengthen their community impact
• Learn to think like an enterprise to achieve economic sustainability
This certificate follows a curriculum designed by Purdue Extension and is tailored to the dynamics of urban agriculture which occurs at a very small scale (usually an acre or less), at close proximity to non-agriculture land uses, and often in partnership with other individuals or organizations. The audience for this curriculum includes for-profit and non-profit market farmers and gardeners, community garden organizers, school garden leaders, urban homesteaders, and other urban agriculture project leaders.
Weds., 11/2/16, 6-9 p.m. Welcome and orientation
Mon., 11/7/16, 6-9 p.m. Creating your roadmap, refining your vision
Weds., 11/9/16, 6-9 p.m. People power: Building relationships within your organization
Mon., 11/14/16, 6-9 p.m. People power: Building support for your work in the community
Weds., 11/16/16, 6-9 p.m. Nuts & bolts: Funding and evaluating your community agriculture project
Mon., 11/21/16, 6-9 p.m. Before digging In: Site assessment
Weds., 1/18/17, 6-9 p.m. Design your urban garden or market farm
Mon., 1/23/17, 6-9 p.m. Foundations of growing organic vegetables, fruits, and herbs
Weds., 1/25/17, 6-9 p.m. Crop planning for economic and environmental sustainability
Sat., 1/28/17, 9-3 p.m. Think like an enterprise: business and marketing planning
Mon., 1/30/17, 6-9 p.m. Soil management, cover crops, and bed preparation
Weds., 2/1/17, 6-9 p.m. Risk management and record keeping
Mon., 2/6/17, 6-9 p.m. Raising healthy transplants at any scale
Weds., 2/8/17, 6-9 p.m. Strategies for organic pest control
Mon., 2/13/17, 6-9 p.m. Strategies for weed management
Weds., 2/15/17, 6-9 p.m. Irrigation for the urban garden or field
Mon., 2/20/17, 6-9 p.m. Season extension strategies for every season
Weds., 2/22/17, 6-9 p.m. Compost and vermicompost
Mon., 2/27/17, 6-9 p.m. GAPs in your farm or garden
Weds., 3/1/17, 6-9 p.m. Best harvest practices for quality, efficiency, and food safety
Thurs., 3/2– Sat., 3/4/17 (optional) Indiana Small Farm Conference, Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds
Mon., 3/6/17, 6-9 p.m. Urban agriculture as a component of food security
Weds., 3/8/17, 6-9 p.m. Using your farm or garden as a classroom
Mon., 3/13/17 Using your farm or garden as a classroom
Weds., 3/15 & Mon. , 3/20/17 [Make-up days if necessary]
May—September 2017 One field trip per month, exact dates TBD
October 2017 Program Completion: Celebration Dinner
Read the complete article here.