Comprehensive Organic Farming Courses for beginners in UK ?

Question

Hello

I would like to train in allaspects of Organic Farming to include both crops and livestock . I would like to learn so I could hold my own with a small holding or maybe very small farm . I have looked for courses for beginners and there don't seem to be too many around ( if any ) and they are either short specialist niche courses or assume you are a seasoned farmer wishing to convert --can anybody help me ? thankyou

Answer 1

Try contacting defra or natural England. They should be able to put you in contact with folk who know about such courses.

Answer 2

Greenmount College of Agriculture Greenmount Campus, 22 Greenmount Road, Antrim, Co. Antrim BT41 4PU, Northern Ireland

T: 028 9442 6601

E: [e-mail]

W: www.greenmount.ac.uk Introduction to organic production (2 day)

National diploma in agriculture

Answer 3

Most universities offer on line versions of their courses and many are free if you don't want the credit. If you are too distant from an agriculture school that is a great option, you can get the info free or you can sign up and get the credit and eventually a degree. Find out what is available for a degree program and chip away but do it in some form of order or you will not have the basic knowledge base to move on to more difficult material. The more information you have on disciplines related to organic farming, sustainable agriculture/ permaculture, and low input agriculture, the more "tools" (I like the analogy to the concept of mental tools) you have in your tool box to work with. All of the above mentioned categories have a different theme or ideology and being well versed in them allows you to pick and choose how you address the crops you grow and care for the land that supports them. It really goes beyond just organic farming and embraces a lifestyle when taken to it's deepest meaning.