Organic Training for Ag. Advisors in the West/Southwest

Get prepared to help your clients grow better crops, more efficiently, ecologically, and profitably

OATS has partnered with the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) and CCOF Foundation to deliver organic training opportunities to agricultural professionals and advisors in the West/Southwest region.

Upcoming Opportunities

THE ORGANIC FIELD CROP COURSE

Grow your network and learn at your own pace

"Just started the OATS training, and the production quality is absurdly good. I like the videos a lot so far too, very nice to have something so focused on agronomy and providing sources for everything"

— Ben Lehman, Course participant

The Organic Field Crop Course by OATS is a cohort-based, online training course on the art and science of organic production. This course will prepare you to work one-on-one with transitional and certified organic farmers. It provides high quality, science-based information that you need to advise your farmer clients.

When: Instant access to the online self-paced content. Cohort live sessions follow a set schedule.

Enrollment deadlines:

  • December 1, 2023 - national cohort with participants from across the country

  • 2024 (exact dates TBD) - California cohort

  • 2024 (exact dates TBD) - Texas cohort

Where: Online. Video-based lessons on Teachable. Live sessions with your cohort on Zoom.

Who: Advisors, consultants, agronomists, and agricultural professionals seeking to work with certified and transitional organic producers

How Much: A $550.00 value - this course is free to agriculture professionals and advisors who work in CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, and TX.

W/SW TOPP region participants use the coupon code “WSW-TOPP” for free tuition.

Once you enroll, you will gain access to the course materials and join a cohort of your peers. You will move through the online, video-based lessons and course materials at your own pace. Your course facilitator will host six live sessions via Zoom where your cohort will meet experienced organic farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals, discuss the lesson content and activities, and get your questions answered.

The course covers all aspects of organic production. Crops featured in the video lessons include corn, soybeans, small grains, pulses, and forage crops, and includes regionally specific information. Live sessions via Zoom feature crops specific to the area for each cohort. Topics covered include:

  • Systems thinking & long-term strategies for success in organic production

  • Managing risk during transition

  • Building strong crop rotations

  • Leveraging healthy soil for a healthy crop

  • Managing weeds, pests, & diseases

  • The certification process and record-keeping

  • National Organic Program (NOP) rules and regulations

  • Marketing and Profitability

  • Roles for organic advisors

This work is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

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