CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — OATS, the Organic Agronomy Training Service, is announcing the launch of the Organic Field Crop Course. Transitioning to organic production continues to be an enticing, if challenging, option for farmers throughout the US, and OATS wants to ensure that growers have the knowledgeable support they need to succeed. Through a combination of video learning and live interaction, each cohort works with a trained course facilitator to gain a holistic understanding of organic field crop production.
Although the organic industry continues to grow, along with farmer interest in transitioning to organic, there is a notable lack of quality resources for agriculture professionals seeking information about organic production practices at scale. OATS is addressing this education gap by creating high quality educational content that’s both informative and entertaining. With the help of more than a dozen university researchers, extension educators, non-profit educators, and industry members, OATS has developed a course that is science-based, educational, and approachable.
Ben Lehman, a course participant commented, “Just started the OATS training, and the production quality is absurdly good. I like the videos a lot so far … very nice to have something so focused on agronomy and providing sources for everything.”
The Organic Field Crop Course is a training program for advisors, consultants, agronomists, and agricultural professionals on the art and science of organic field crop production in the northern tier of the United States. The course prepares agriculture professionals, and producers to work one-on-one with transitional and certified organic field crop farmers, providing high quality information needed to advise farmer clients.
The course is divided into 12 modules that cover pressing topics such as NOP regulations, crop rotation, weed control, soil health, marketing, and more. The course features 48 self-paced video lessons that dive into the topics. To ensure communication and comprehension, the course includes 6 live, online sessions featuring guest speakers, Q&A, and discussion of lesson content, plus a 1-day, in-person event. Lesson quizzes help the participant test their knowledge along with exercises that put their new knowledge into practice. Supplementary materials are included for those who want to dive deeper, and a certificate is awarded upon completion of the course.
“This program provides a unique opportunity for ag professionals who want to start working with organic clients. Many agronomists, CCAs, and government employees are seeing an increase in demand for their services by organic farmers. This course provides those professionals with the training they need to serve this emerging client base,” said OATS National Program Director Mallory Krieger.
Development of this program was made possible by generous support from the Organic Trade Association’s GRO Organic Technical Assistance Program. General Mills, a top-level donor to OATS and longtime member of the OTA, supports the new program.
“Farmers are the backbone of the organic industry, and they supply our company with the ingredients we need to make organic products that the world loves,” said Charlotte Vallaeys, Natural and Organic Associate Expert, General Mills. “We are proud to support OATS as they strive to provide better access to the technical assistance that empowers organic farmers to be more resilient and successful.”
Enrollment for the Organic Field Crop Course is now open. The deadline to sign up for the summer cohort is July 24 with the cohort starting on August 7. Interested ag professionals can visit the course webpage to learn more and to register.
OATS, the Organic Agronomy Training Service, is a collaboratively-managed training program for agricultural professionals working with organic or transitioning farmers in the United States. We seek to grow domestic organic production by strengthening the educational support network of agronomists, certified crop advisors, extension agents, and technical service providers. Our aim is for every transitional and certified organic farmer to have robust access to technical service expertise to provide unbiased, science-based agronomic support for their farming operation.
— Organic Agronomy Training Service
