Webinar Schedule and Participant Guide
Webinar Dates
Live instruction for 2024 has concluded. You are welcome to complete this course on a self-paced schedule and join our next live session in Fall 2025. All webinars are recorded and posted here in your online classroom to watch anytime. Once enrolled in this course, you will retain access to all materials indefinitely and may return to participate in future live offerings of the course as well. Please join us!
To access the webinars during our next live session, you will simply need to click on the webinar join link that is posted in the Weekly Resources section of this course. This link only works on the appointed day and time for the webinar, so while you can try clicking it sooner, it won't open the webinar meeting for you.
You may also join our webinars from a mobile device by installing the official Zoom app from your preferred app store. Then, when it's time for a webinar, simply open your Zoom app and enter the 9-digit meeting ID that will be posted along with the webinar link.
Weekly Topics
Our weekly webinars are designed to expose you to a wide range of farmers, farming styles, enterprises, and business models.
First webinar: Erica Frenay, Course Overview and Getting Started in Farming
Join course facilitator Erica Frenay for an intro to the course, farming advice from successful farmers, and an intro to holistic decision-making.
Second webinar: Erica Frenay, Shelterbelt Farm
Review of Week 1 homework and questions; then Erica will share Shelterbelt Farm's start-up process, focusing especially on how her family's values have shaped their decision-making and goal-setting.
Third webinar: Rob Kuhar, Idiot Brothers Cider
Review of Week 2 homework and questions; then we will be joined by Rob Kuhar. Rob and his brother started a cider business, managing around 200 acres of orchards, all while owning virtually no land. Their story is fascinating and hopefully inspiring for those of you who are struggling to afford land!
Fourth webinar: Sea Matias, West Branch Commons
Review of the Week 3 homework and questions; then we'll hear about how Sea, an urban community farmer from the Bronx, found rural land access and launched their farm operation--as well as an unlikely friendship--in the Catskills.
Fifth webinar: Rhiannon Wright, the Forest Exchange
Review of Week 4 homework and questions; then Rhiannon Wright from the Forest Exchange will share her nursery start-up story and expansion plans. Rhiannon also works as a Program Manager at the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE), an awesome organization providing support services and education for farmers in NYS.
Sixth webinar: Student Presentations, Wrap-Up, and Next Steps
We will hopefully have a couple of brave volunteer students from this course share their farm start-up plan so far, and allow time for a final Q&A at the end. This webinar may stretch a little longer than the previous weeks, depending on how many student presenters we have and how many questions you all want to discuss!
Zoom Participant's Guide
The below guide explains how to use the Zoom video platform for this course's weekly webinars.