Program Schedule

DRAFT Schedule 2024

MSU Organic Farmer Training Program

FBP = Farm & Business Planning; M&C = Marketing & Community Engagement

NOTE: This is a DRAFT schedule! We will try to post a final schedule ASAP :)

2/26/2024 FBP 1: Welcome + Intros + Values & Goals + Farm Business Plans (online)
3/4/2024 FBP 2: Enterprise/Project Choices; Crop Budgets + Community Farm Plans (online)
3/11/2024 M&C 1: CSA, Farmers’ Markets, Community programs + Homestead Plans (online)
3/18/2024 M&C 2: Community Research + Marketing/Community Plans (online)
3/24/2024 M&C 3: Organic/Other Certifications, Farmland & Site Planning 1 (online)
4/1/2024 Farm 1: Crop Plans, Successions, Crop Rotations & Site Planning 2 (online)
4/8/2024 Farm 2: Farm Tour + Transplant Production (on-farm: Detroit with Akello)
4/15/2024 Soils 1: Site Plans + Soil Mapping (online)
4/22/2024 Soils 2: Assessing & Managing Soils (on-farm with Kido or Katie)
4/29/2024 Soils 3: Fertility/Cover Crops/Compost + Soil Tests (online)
5/6/2024 Farm 3: Season Extension (on-farm with Kido or Katie)
5/13/2024 Food System 1: Race & Food Systems + Farms & Farmers (online)
5/20/2024 Field Trip 1: 4 Detroit Farms
5/27/2024 No Class – Memorial Day
6/3/2024 Farm 4: Planting & Irrigation + Herbs (on-farm with Akello or Katie)
6/10/2024 Ecology 1: Weeds + Greens (on-farm with Rosebud)
6/17/2024 No Class - Juneteenth
6/24/2024 Field Trip 2: 4 Ann Arbor Farms
7/1/2024 Ecology 2: Insect Pests & Beneficials + Roots (on-farm with Rosebud or Katie)
7/8/2024 Ecology 3: Conservation Programs/Techniques + Holistic Resource Mgmt. (online)
7/15/2024 Ecology 4: Crop Diseases and Wildlife + Alliums (on-farm with Rosebud or Katie)
7/20 to 7/22 Field Trip 3: 6+ Chicago Farms
7/29/2024 FBP 3: Labor/Right Livelihood/Volunteers + Risk/Insurance (online)
8/5/2024 Farm 5: Cut Flowers + Cucurbits (on-farm with Molly or Katie)
8/12/2024 Field Trip 4: 4 Grand Rapids Farms
8/19/2024 Farm 6: Tractors & Equipment + Solanaceae (on-farm in E. Lansing with Katie)
8/26/2024 Field Trip 5: 4 Lansing Farms
9/2/2024 No Class – Labor Day
9/9/2024 FBP 4: Startup Budgets + Loans, Grants and Funding (online)
9/16/2024 Field Trip 6: 4 Flint Farms
9/23/2024 Farm 7: Food Safety, Harvest & Wash/Pack +Brassicas (on-farm with Molly or Katie)
9/30/2024 FBP 5: Financials + Sustainability Plans + Business/Non-Profit Types (online)
10/7/2024 FBP 6: Records, Pricing, Taxes + Farm Plan Presentation Prep (online)
10/14/2024 No Class – Indigenous People's Day
10/21/2024 FBP 7: FBP Presentations + OFTP Feedback (online)
10/28/2024 FBP 8: FPB Presentations + FBP Partner Review Session (online)
11/4/2024 FBP 9: FBP Presentations + Vision for Food & Ag Systems (online)
TBD: Graduation celebration