Growing Farms Online: Growing and Saving Seed as a Farm Business

This Growing and Saving Seed as a Farm Business course guides you through the basic knowledge and skills needed to develop a successful seed production or seed saving enterprise on your farm. The course focuses on both the biological and farming aspects of producing, harvesting and storing seed. It will also help you evaluate some of the marketing and business decisions involved in seed production.

What You'll Learn

After finishing this online self-paced course, you'll be able to:

Define your goals and objectives related to developing a seed production/seed saving enterprise.
Have a basic understanding of plant biology and reproduction and be able to apply those concepts in the field.
Analyze the environmental factors in your farming region and know how to choose crops and varieties that are well suited for seed production under those conditions.
Be able to describe the best farming practices for producing a seed crop and identify how those practices may differ from regular crop production.
Know how to determine the isolation distances and population sizes that are needed to maintain pure varieties.
Be ready to implement appropriate strategies and techniques for seed harvest, seed cleaning and storage.
Become aware of the laws and regulations that apply to seed production businesses and know who to consult when determining which laws might apply to your operation.

You will also build a basic understanding of the marketing and business management aspects of a seed production enterprise and create a plan for how to make progress toward your goals.

Who This is For

The course is designed primarily for small- to medium-scale farmers who are interested in producing seed for their own use and/or for commercial purposes.

Here are some scenarios that may be bringing you to this course:

You want to learn more about seed saving and see if it is something you could do on your farm.
You are thinking about developing a seed production enterprise as part of your business.
You are just starting out with your seed production business and want to hone your skills.
You work at a seed company and want to learn skills that are relevant for your job.

This program is perfect for any agricultural professionals or home gardeners interested in the subject.