Continuing Education for farmers
See Upcoming Field School events Watch Webinar Recordings
The Field School is a series of educational programs offered throughout the year. We partner with the Chesapeake region’s leading farmers, researchers, and technical service providers to offer hands-on learning and skills building opportunities, professional development opportunities, and exposure to the latest research and trends in agriculture. Our programs follow a farmer-to-farmer learning model and are conducted through a variety of formats: field tours, hands-on days, intensives, panel discussions, and webinars. All experience levels are welcome to engage in our on-farm events, webinars, and workshops.
We cover a long and ever-changing list of topic areas, including but not limited to:
- Sustainable fruit, vegetable, and livestock production
- Land access and food sovereignty
- Food safety
- Soil Health best practices
- Specialty crop production including: cut flowers, small grains, tree fruit, and mushrooms
IMPACT:
- In 2020 we offered 20+ webinars and on-farm programs reaching more than 950 farmers
- We helped more than 150 new farmers learn practical skills and gain exposure to a variety of farm operations and practices.
- We provided more than 130 experienced farmers with a space to brainstorm, problem solve, and regroup during the COVID crisis. (Topics discussed ranged from marketing and distribution pivots, health and safety concerns, managing financial risk, meat & slaughterhouse shortages, and more.)
- We helped farmers of all experience levels gain exposure to new research, funding opportunities, and regional initiatives (like the Million Acre Challenge).
- We helped 75+ farmers learn from other farmers and researchers about ways to improve and understand soil health practices
- We helped 85+ farmers improve their marketing plans and business strategies
- More than 65% of Future Harvest’s farming network is from a socially or economically marginalized community.
Read about our recent work, Risk Management Training for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers, here.
We welcome donations towards the Field School and all or our Future Harvest programming. Support from funders like you helps to ensure equity in the food and farming system.
Check out some of our past events
Have an idea for a Field School event? Contact Us! info@futureharvest.org