Ever wondered if you can learn farming online? Well, here is an article on Free Online Farming Courses which do not just answer your question but also provide all the necessary information needed about online farming. The article also contains the duration of the courses, the platform for the study, etc.
Online learning platforms have served as a medium in which we learn from anywhere and at any time, thereby making it easy for anyone who wishes to know one thing or the other, despite the pandemic ravaging the world.
Today, many people have acquired a whole lot of certificates, skills, and knowledge just by signing up for an online course. Some even bagged their bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degrees through online learning platforms.
The way to get started is easy. It is simply having a smart device like a phone, laptop, or tablet which can access the internet, and most importantly having a zeal for learning.
There are tons of online courses on the internet today, the majority of which are free while others are paid, but in all, they equip learners with the necessary skills and knowledge needed for the role for which they signed up.
In the course of this article, we will be discussing the free online courses focusing on free online farming courses. Therefore, if you have been on the search for this particular topic, we urge you to stay tuned to the last sentence as we take you through a ride to what you have been searching for.
Someone who just bumped into this post might still ask about the benefits of online courses and why it should be recommended for one to enroll. Well, this question among others is what we have answered in this article. Thus, the benefits of online courses are as follows:
- Online courses reduce the chances of students missing lessons as they can take the course from home, workplace, or any place of choice.
- It improves one’s technical skills as you will have to use a quite number of tools for the learning.
- Online courses help to give a broader, global perspective about a subject or topic.
- Online learning increases the teacher’s efficiency of teaching by making provision of a number of tools like pdf, videos, podcasts, etc.
- Online learning can be accessible at any time and any place provided that there is an internet connection and the course plan has not expired
- Online learning reduces financial expenditures that would have been spent on travel, accommodation, etc.
Now let’s journey together on the free online farming courses and see what it entails.
Can I Learn Farming Online?
With the availability of online farming courses which cuts across almost all areas of farming, with practical approaches and in-depth study, one can say that learning farming online is possible. However, the practical application of the knowledge gotten from the online courses will be done offline.
Benefits Of Free Online Farming Courses
There are many benefits of free online farming courses. Below are some of them highlighted in this article.
- They are accessible from any part of the world once you have your smart devices and data connection.
- They help reduce the financial expenditures as the cost of studying a farming course offline is not a child’s play.
- They help in increasing the student’s class attendance as they can log in from anywhere.
- The learning process is flexible.
- The learning materials can be reused again.
- Taking free online farming courses creates room for learning with the updated materials and standard curriculum.
- They help one to get started in farming speedily.
Requirements For Free Online Farming Courses
There may be little or no requirements to enroll in free online farming courses except;
- Having an interest/zeal to study and practice farming.
- Having a smart device either laptop, phone, or tablet with good network connectivity.
- Signing up for free online farming courses.
Free Online Farming Courses
Below is a list of free online farming courses which have been carefully selected to help you out massively. The duration of the study, the platform for study, mode, etc. have also been included.
- Discover Best Practice Farming For A Sustainable 2050
- Introduction To Poultry Farming
- Organic Farming Practices And Certification
- Innovation In Arable Farming: Technologies For Sustainable Farming Systems
- Circular Business Models For Sustainable Urban Food Systems
- The Future Of Farming: Exploring Climate Smart Agriculture
- Organic Farming For Sustainable Agriculture Production
- Black Agricultural Solution To Food Apartheid: A Teach-Out
- Sustainable Agricultural Land Management
- Climate Change And Resilience In Food System
1. Discover Best Practice Farming For A Sustainable 2050
Discover Best Practice Farming For A Sustainable 2050 is among the free online farming courses designed to equip learners with the best practice farming for 2050. It teaches how those practices can be applied and still be making profits.
The course explores a wide range of issues confronting the industry, such as the rural communities, rural infrastructure, and conservation of biodiversity in agriculture.
Tutor: Graeme Martin
Language: English
Duration: 7 weeks long, 9 – 10 hours worth of material
Start Date: 28th March 2022
Platform: University of Western Australia Via Coursera
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
2. Introduction To Poultry Farming
Introduction to poultry farming is among the free online farming courses that are designed to teach everything about the Indian poultry industry; various types of poultry and farming systems, common breeds of poultry, different body systems, and functions, different breeding systems, etc.
The course contains a quality learning guide that includes 20 videos to be explored in about 10 weeks, web links to support the study materials, self-assessment questions, etc.
The course is for those who want to build a career as an entrepreneur in poultry farming or those working in poultry farms already.
Tutor: Dr. P. Vijayakumar
Language: English
Duration: 12 weeks long
Start Date: 31st January 2022
Platform: IGNOU Via Swayam
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
3. Organic Farming Practices And Certification
This is one of the free online farming courses that help learners to understand the dangers of agriculture with the use of agrochemicals which causes adverse effects on the soil structures, soil microflora, quality of water, food, fodder, and food materials.
The course focuses on teaching learners how to do organic farming or to use biofertilizers in place of chemical fertilizers for economic and ecological benefits by way of soil health and fertility to farmers.
Tutor: Dr. P. Vijayakumar
Language: English
Duration: 8 weeks long
Start Date: 6th February 2022
Platform: Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar and CEC Via Swayam
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
4. Innovation In Arable Farming: Technologies For Sustainable Farming Systems
This is also one of the free online farming courses designed to equip learners with evidence-based information containing the benefits and challenges of adopting new technologies within the EU. The case study examples of some of these applications will also be made available.
The course explores how farmers adopted agri-tech on their farms and how they overcame barriers to adoption. It also discusses the potential of agri-tech to enhance production while meeting environmental and social responsibilities.
The course is for environmental sector workers, farm advisors, agronomists, agricultural extension workers, agri-tech developers, inputs supply companies, etc. who want to develop their knowledge in this area.
Tutor: Alice Mauchline
Language: English
Duration:3 weeks long, 3 hours a week
Start Date: Self-paced
Platform: EIT Food and University of Reading via Future Learn
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
5. Circular Business Models For Sustainable Urban Food Systems
Circular Business Models For Sustainable Urban Food Systems is also one of the free online farming courses that help learners to explore how a circular economy can foster sustainable urban food systems. It teaches how to design and build circular food systems for resilient, smart, and sustainable cities.
The course also explores the catalytic role of cities to foster healthy and inclusive food policies, adopting systems thinking, institutional innovation, and participatory approaches in order to fulfill the 2030 SDGs.
The course is prepared for policymakers, public institutions, intermediaries, educators, and anyone with an interest in issues of sustainability and urban food systems.
Tutor: Paola De Bernardi
Language: English
Duration:4 weeks long, 4 hours a week
Start Date: Self-paced
Platform: EIT Food and Universita di Torino via Future Learn
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
6. The Future Of Farming: Exploring Climate Smart Agriculture
This is also one of the free online farming courses designed to equip learners with practical knowledge and applications of climate-smart agriculture: mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to climate change, and stable or increased food production in the context of European dairy farming and wine production.
The course also addresses how farming impacts global warming and greenhouse gases, the barriers to adopting CSA, and how these can be solved.
It is for those who want to learn more about modern food production, farming, and environmental challenges.
Tutors: Jake Bishop, Marie Dittmann, and Martin Lukac
Language: English
Duration: 3 weeks long, 3 hours a week
Platform: Climate-KIC and University of Reading via Future Learn
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
7. Organic Farming For Sustainable Agriculture Production
This is one of the free online farming courses designed to equip learners with the understanding of the effects of chemo-synthetic pesticides, mineral fertilizers, growth promoters, and genetically modified organisms.
It explores the serious threat caused to the quality of products as well as the environment. The course promotes organic farming practices, quality analysis of products, environmental impact assessment, health benefits of organic food, etc.
Tutor: Prof. Dillip Kumar Swain
Language: English
Duration: 8 weeks long
Platform: Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and NPTEL via Swayam
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
8. Black Agricultural Solution To Food Apartheid: A Teach-Out
The black agricultural solution to food apartheid: a teach-out is one of the free online farming courses which explains the historical, ancestral, and spiritual connections that black people have to land and agriculture.
The course exposes learners to ancestral foodways, agrarian practices, and spiritual connections. It also deepens the understanding of learners in the spiritual and ancestral relationship that many black people have to a higher power, land, plants, etc.
The course syllabus cuts across; the land is at the center, a brief history of structural racism experienced by black farmers, community gardening in Philadelphia, threatened gardens and advocacy efforts, stewarding from spirit, etc.
Tutors: Ashley Gripper, PhDc, MPH and Shannon Frattaroli, Ph.D., MPH
Language: English
Duration: 1 week long, 5- 6 hours worth of material
Start Date: 4th April 2022
Platform: Johns Hopkins University via Coursera
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
9. Sustainable Agricultural Land Management
This is also among the free online farming courses that give learners practical insights and knowledge about the agricultural and urban water quality issues in Florida, their bases, land, and nutrient management strategies, and the science and policy behind the best management practices (BMPs).
The course will also expose learners to how to evaluate BMP research and analyze its role in determining practices and policies that protect water quality.
Tutor: George Hochmuth
Language: English
Duration: 8 weeks long, 20 hours worth of material
Start Date: 28th March 2022
Platform: University of Florida via Coursera
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
10. Climate Change And Resilience In Food System
Climate change and resilience in the food system is one of the free online farming courses designed to equip learners with the knowledge of the effects of climate change and how to build resilience in agriculture and food systems.
It also exposes learners to how new research methods help us predict the impact of climate change on agriculture and food systems, and how to build resilience in agricultural and food systems in their country.
The course is for those who have an interest or background in agriculture, environment or food science, etc., and wish to deepen their knowledge on how current research can have a positive effect on communities.
Tutor: Stephen Whitfield
Language: English
Duration: 2 weeks long, 3 hours a week
Start Date: Self-paced
Platform: University of Leeds via Future Learn
Interested applicants should enroll with the link below
Free Online Farming Courses- FAQs
This section talks about the frequently asked questions about free online farming courses. Below are some of them with the answers provided.
How Do I Get Started In Farming?
How to get started in farming involve taking these steps:
- Choose a niche i.e. the type of farming you want to start. Don’t just dive immediately into farming without accessing this.
- Find the right land or environment
- Acquire the required capital to start
- Start, and when the products are due, market and sell
How Much Do Farmers Make?
The salary of an average farmer is about $28, 279 per year
Can I Farm Without A Land?
Well, you don’t need to own land to be a farmer, however, you need access to a land where you can do the practical applications of all you have learned whether through online courses, training, school, etc.