Webinar Schedule and Participant Guide
Dates and Join Link
In 2024, this course will be offered live for 6-weeks on Wednesdays from 7:00 – 8:30 PM (Eastern) from November 6 – December 18 (class will not be held on November 27). While we encourage live attendance, so you have the opportunity to engage with presenters and ask questions, all webinars are recorded and posted in the online classroom to watch anytime. Once enrolled in this course, you will retain access to all materials indefinitely, and can return to participate in the live webinars in future offerings of the course if you wish. 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 can join webinars from a mobile device by downloading the Zoom app from your preferred app store. Then, to join a webinar, at the appointed time you would simply open your Zoom app and enter the Meeting ID number provided by your instructor in Teachable.
Weekly Topics
Week 1: Introduction and Soil Health
This week we will make introductions and do an overview of the course site, then focus on one of the most important factors of all: the health and quality of your soil.
Week 2: Site Assessment
This week we focus on the importance of site selection. A speaker will share some challenges they have faced with their location and demonstrate using web-based soil maps to better understand the land you own or are considering buying.
Week 3: Planning and Bed Layout
This week we will talk about bed layout and crop planning, timing and succession strategies. We will also discuss decisions involving direct sowing versus transplanting and how to decide which varieties to grow.
Week 4: Equipment
This week we will talk about choosing and using equipment including tractors, walk-behind 2-wheeled machines and hand tools.
Week 5: The Business of Vegetable Production
This week we will go over some of the business aspects to growing vegetables. How do you decide if vegetables are right for you? In this session we will learn to use data to make informed decisions about profitability, marketing channels and crop selection. We will also cover the components of a business plan.
Week 6: Cover Crops, Course Wrap Up and final topics
We use this last session to discuss cover crops and then go into more depth on topics that came up during the previous sessions that more time was needed for. Possible topics include season extension drip irrigation set up, transplant production, etc, depending on class interest.
How to Join Zoom
Review the document below for more detailed instructions on how to use the webinar technology.