Interested in Getting Started with Livestock or Grazing? These Upcoming Online Courses Can Help 

Whether you're considering starting a poultry, swine, cattle, or sheep enterprise, or are looking to get started with or improve grazing strategies for your farm, the Cornell Small Farms Program's online courses can provide the information and support you need to take the next step.

Experienced farmers and extension educators guide students through course content, including weekly live webinars, videos, and resources designed to support farmers at all levels. Our instructors have extensive experience in both Cornell Cooperative Extension services and in owning and operating their own farms.

Our suite of online courses is offered on a user-friendly platform, which grants registrants permanent access to their course content. Also, courses have tiered pricing based on household size and income to make access to the courses more affordable and equitable for everyone.

Registration is now open for all courses, with live webinars beginning as soon as the first week of November.

BF 130: Poultry Production

Tuesdays: November 2 to December 7

Many new farmers get started with poultry, because it's a relatively low-investment enterprise with a fairly quick turnaround time from start-up to revenue. The margins can be slim though, and farmers need to develop the necessary skill set to produce a product that is both safe and profitable. This course will help you get started with all the basic information to build a successful poultry enterprise.

BF 233: Beef Cattle Management

Tuesdays: November 2 to December 7

Having a successful cattle business is about much more than just buying a few head and putting them in a field. If you want to turn a profit, you need to think carefully about your goals, marketing strategy, appropriate breeds, and many more details. Over the six weeks of this course you'll get a much clearer idea of what is involved, whether it's the right fit for you, and if it is, what steps you need to take to get started.

BF 138: Getting Started with Pastured Pigs

Mondays: January 10 to February 14

This course is formatted to guide beginning farmers through the production and marketing of pigs raised in pasture settings. Pigs can function as a profitable stand-alone enterprise or can be integrated into your existing farm structure to provide a variety of products and make use of marginal lands that would otherwise go unused. Pigs are also ideal for turning agricultural wastes such as spent grain, whey, or seconds into a valuable product, and with proper management they can improve the land where they are kept.

BF 232: Sheep Production

Thursdays: January 13 to February 17

Have sheep or considering getting a flock? Producers of all experience levels will find something for them in this lively, wide-ranging course. There is no one right way to raise sheep - just a palette of options for you to choose from, to suit your farming objectives and lifestyle. Taught by experienced sheep producers and Cornell Cooperative Extension educators, this course covers many of these different options, and strongly encourages active student participation.

BF 231: Grazing Management

Tuesdays: February 2 to March 29

Grazing is more than simply turning livestock out onto a green pasture and hoping for the best. With sound grazing management, you can reduce your workload, keep your animals happier and healthier, and improve the overall productivity and profitability of your farm. Well-managed grazing systems also provide greater environmental benefits and enhance habitat for many wildlife species. This course teaches the key concepts of successful grazing operation and focuses on grazing ruminant livestock, but most of the information will be relevant to non-ruminant animals as well.

The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in Teachable, our online course platform. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the interface of the course for a dedicated time slot each year to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from presenters and ask questions in real-time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing.

You can browse all of our course offerings on our website. You can learn more about our courses, including answers to common questions, on our course FAQ.