Garden Academy is an asynchronous e-course completed over the course of 10 weeks. Garden Academy offers a comprehensive approach to consumer horticulture education. To participate as an Iowa Master Gardener trainee, contact your county Extension and Outreach office.
To participate as an Iowa Home Gardener (non-volunteer), this course can be purchased through the ISU Extension and Outreach Store.
As part of the Homegrown Lifestyle series, the Acreage Management course is designed for those who want to responsibly care for their land and water resources while cultivating their own food. You’ll gain practical knowledge in soil management, learn how to take and interpret soil samples, discover water conservation techniques, and explore the benefits of adding trees and windbreaks. Additionally, you'll learn how to build a harmonious relationship with local wildlife, ensuring your land thrives for years to come. This course is available with English and Spanish closed captions.
As part of the Homegrown Lifestyle series, the Fruits and Vegetables course is perfect for those eager to grow their own produce. Dive into the world of vegetable families, discover the best fruit cultivars for Midwest climates, and master the art of harvesting and storing your crops. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this course provides essential tools to help you grow and preserve a diverse range of vegetables and fruits.This course is available with English and Spanish closed captions.
If you're new to small-scale livestock farming, the Livestock course within the Homegrown Lifestyle series is your guide to getting started. Whether you're interested in raising chickens, adding sheep or goats to your farm, beginning beekeeping or learning how to renovate pastures, this course covers it all. You'll also explore best practices for composting manure, ensuring a sustainable and ethical approach to livestock care. With this course, you'll gain the confidence and knowledge to start managing your farm’s animals with ease. This course is available with English and Spanish closed captions.
Course shell requested by Madelynn Wuestenberg - January 2025
Shell created by J. Wiebke for Kendra Meyer 6/14/2023
Women’s Roles in Farm and Ranch Transition Planning is an online course for women in agriculture.The course introduces transition planning activities and terminology to give women of all ages specific action steps they can take. Women will learn how to help move a farm or ranch business to the next generation whether family or non-family is involved. Communication tips and tools will help women talk to their family and other farm/ranch partners about planning for the future.
For more information contact: Madeline Schultz at schultz@iastate.edu
Women in Ag Learning Network (www.extension.org/womeninag)
THIS COURSE HAS BEEN COPIED TO THE LIVE PRODUCTION SERVER. January 2022 JMW Please make any changes to the course on the production server.
The Land Stewardship Leadership Academy is a professional development program for early to mid-career professionals who work with private landowners to implement water quality and wildlife conservation practices on agricultural land. The program seeks to expand competencies in agriculture in Iowa, public trust responsibilities and natural resource stewardship, and the science of compelling behavior change. The goal of the program is to help participants build cooperative, trusting, and empathetic relationships with farmers that ultimately compel conservation adoption that addresses societally critical outcomes related to environmental stewardship while balancing farm profitability and resiliency.
During the course, learners work through a series of online lessons and participate in group discussions, in-person networking events, and guided field trips to help them better understand the complex landscape in which land stewardship plays out in privately owned farmlands.
This program enrolls an annual limited capacity cohort. To learn more about how to apply visit the Land Stewardship Leadership Academy web page.
Gabbi Edwards test course for Converting Face-to-Face Programs into Online Programs Fall 2017