This course is currently closed. The next round of How to Start Farming will run in fall 2023. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear about registration opening. Read on for more details about the course and we hope to see you there!
Young Agrarians presents How to Start Farming: An Introductory Course for the Farm Curious! This online course will give you the space to explore farming fundamentals, connect with the farming community, and learn about ways to get more involved in farming.
Did you know that over two-thirds of new farmers don’t come from a farming background?
People from all walks of life have caught the farming and food-growing bug. Maybe that’s you!
Overview
How to Start Farming is a five-week program packed full of content and activities that guide you through the basics of farming and bring together people who want to dip their toes into the world of growing food. Registration in the course includes access to over 12 instructional videos, a curated list of more than 20 of our favourite farming resources, and 10+ hours of virtual support and instruction, all broken down into easily digestible weekly modules. Each week will include pre-recorded videos, a discussion forum, and a 2-hour online session.
How to Start Farming will cover everything from overviews of different kinds of farming to basic soil health principles to preparing for your first farm visit. In this program you will have the opportunity to:
- Be introduced to Indigenous food systems and relationship to the land (led by Nehiyaw/Métis Knowledge Keeper Audrey Logan, Treaty 1 Territory)
- Discover how to address climate change through farming methods
- Explore paths to get more involved in farming
- Meet farmers and peers who are passionate about local food
- Hear first-hand stories of the joys and challenges of growing food
This program is open to anyone and everyone curious about farming. How to Start Farming is a great place to explore whether farming is right for you, how to build community by growing food, and tangible ways to make a positive impact on the ecosystems around you. This course is also a great way for those who are new to Canada to learn the basics of farming in northern climates. You don’t have to have any experience with farming or growing food to join.
“Young farmer, learn as much as you can about farming and life. Listen to your elders, for they are wise… Whatever you learn, share that knowledge with others; whatever you grow, share with those who have less. Be prepared to meet the challenge ahead but know that you are not alone.”
–Karen Washington from Letters to a Young Farmer
Is the How to Start Farming course for you?
How to Start Farming is best suited for folks who have little or no experience in farming. This is an introductory course so it will be an exploration of the basics of farming. People of all ages and walks of life are welcome to join.
How to Start Farming is geared toward people who:
- Are looking for tangible ways to fight climate change
- Want to develop a relationship with the land through growing food
- Want to learn more about how food is grown in their local area
- Have grown food in gardens and want to learn about farming on a larger scale
- Come from farming backgrounds outside of Canada and want to learn about growing food in northern climates
- Are interested in working outdoors with their hands in the soil
- Want to connect with others who are interested in farming
Not sure if How to Start Farming is right for you? Reach out to Alex at: alex@youngagrarians.org
Format
How to Start Farming is structured to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, which means it’s different from a standard online course. Each week participants are encouraged to watch a few short videos and answer a discussion question before attending the online, live session (via Zoom).
The videos cover the content of the topic for that week. Some videos will focus on the practical pieces of growing food while others will be a story of how a new farmer got involved in farming. Each week will have 10-15 minutes of video content.
Each topic will also have a discussion question to complete. These discussion questions will help you reflect on the topic and to hear from others in the course. You can expect to spend 5–20 minutes on each discussion question.
During the live session, you have the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and to connect with peers in small groups. These sessions are participatory and driven by your questions. Each session is 2 hours long and we have live transcription available during all of our sessions.
How to Start Farming will run for five consecutive weeks with one topic per week. Live sessions are held on Thursday evenings (5 pm PT, 6 pm MT, 7 pm CT, 8 pm ET, 9 pm AT).
If you require any accommodations to make this program accessible, don’t hesitate to reach out to Alex at alex@youngagrarians.org.
Speakers
We have carefully selected an exceptional team of speakers to help you get your farm business off the ground! Learn from these amazing farmers and food lovers about how to get more involved in the farming community.
How to Start Farming is facilitated by Alex Pulwicki, the E-Learning Coordinator at Young Agrarians.
Alex loves nothing more than bringing together people to celebrate local food and farms! As the E-Learning Coordinator for Young Agrarians she gets to meet amazing new and aspiring farmers and help them to connect with the resources and support needed to start farming. She enjoys making online spaces a place to build connections with people near and far. Alex has worked and volunteered at a number of farms across Alberta and is passionate about local dairy and cheesemaking. She currently sits on the Edmonton Food Council and is in the early stages of starting a small herbal tea farm. You can reach Alex at alex@youngagrarians.org.
Requirements
To fully participate in the program, participants should have reliable access to a computer and a stable internet connection (to join Zoom video calls). Please contact Alex (alex@youngagrarians.org) if you need any technical support.
Cost
We love supporting new and young farmers to grow! To make How to Start Farming more affordable we are offering a sliding scale payment, which means that you are able to select how much you pay to participate.
The suggested sliding scale cost is $125–$250, which is $25–$50 per session. We base the price range on the cost of running the program (coordination, speaker fees, facilitation, program development, and online infrastructure). When you register you are able to enter any amount as a registration fee. If you’d like to learn more, please go to “What is sliding scale payment? Why do we use it?”.
If you have any questions, would like to pay without using a credit card, and/or want to arrange a payment plan, then please contact Alex at alex@youngagrarians.org. Teams that join the program together can register as one entity.
FAQ
How much time is required to participate in this program?
The program is 5 weeks long. Each week will have 15–20 minutes of video content and each live session is 2 hours long. You can also expect to spend 5–20 minutes each week answering a discussion question online. So each week will require about 3 hours of your time, for a total of 15 hours for the whole course.
What are the exact dates and times of the live sessions?
All sessions are held on Thursdays from 5–7 pm Pacific Time, 6–8 pm Mountain Time, 7–9 pm Central Time, 8–10 pm Eastern Time, 9–11 pm Atlantic Time.
Spring 2023: May 4, May 11, May 18, May 25, June 1
Fall 2023: Dates to be determined
What if I can’t (or don’t want to) attend the live sessions?
Not a problem. All the live sessions will be recorded so you can always catch up by watching these videos. These recordings will be available only to program participants and only for the duration of the program. That being said, past participants have really enjoyed the live sessions and they have benefited from connecting with the speakers and their peers, so you are encouraged to come when you can!
Will I have access to content after the program is over?
Absolutely! You’ll have access to the program website, which has all the videos, resources, and discussion questions after the course is done.
Questions or ideas? Email Alex at alex@youngagrarians.org
RESOURCES FOR HOW TO START FARMING
Want more programs and resources for your farming journey? Check these out!
- YA Apprenticeship Program is a paid on-farm apprenticeship that is perfect for trying your hand at farming
- Our Job Board has a huge number of job opportunities across Canada
- Business Bootcamp for New Farmers – This online, community-based program will give you the space and skills to write a stellar business plan for the farm of your dreams.
- Alberta Land Access Guide – A guide to help new farmers look at options into accessing land to farm.
- How to Start Farming in Alberta is a blog post with organizations and resources to support those new to farming
How to Start Farming is coordinated out of ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan), which is in Treaty 6 and Métis Territory. This land is the meeting place of the Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, Inuit, and many others. As we live and work in the context of, and in response to, a colonial land title system, it is important to acknowledge the historical and ongoing impact of agriculture on Indigenous lands and food systems. As Métis writer Chelsea Vowel says, “I think rural/Indigenous alliances have the potential to be the most transformative relationships in this country, even as they remain the least likely to occur.” In this context, we believe that it is our collective responsibility to position reconciliation, ecology and land stewardship at the forefront if we are to learn to be in relationship with the land.
You can read Young Agrarians’ full land acknowledgment on our The Land page.
Thank you to our course sponsors:
