New lavender online course now available
Print
EmailReady to turn your garden purple? A new online course will teach growers how to establish lavender, manage, harvest and market the crop.
The wait is over. For nearly two years, a group of lavender growers and scientists have been busily working to compile a thorough and rigorous lavender curriculum to guide new growers on their lavender journey while simultaneously adding inspiration to those with experience under their belt. The new self-paced, online course, Growing Lavender: A Curriculum for Growers, is now available.
The online course was developed under the leadership of Michigan State University, Kansas State University and the United States Lavender Growers Association and with funding from the USDA’s North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. The course is accessed through MSU’s online course system, Desire-2-Learn. It provides a comprehensive and accessible learning experience for beginning and more seasoned growers, including commercial growers. The course includes examples from growers in multiple locations within the United States and is designed for lavender growers across the country.
The course is self-paced, allowing users to move at their own speed rather than be committed to a day-long course. Each module will take approximately 1 to 1.5 hours to complete. You can easily take one module at a time and come back when your schedule allows. The course utilizes videos, audio, web resources and interactive content. Once you have completed all modules, you will receive a certificate of completion.
The curriculum is composed of seven modules:
- Why and How to Grow Lavender
- Establishing Lavender
- Selecting Lavender Varieties
- Managing your Lavender Crop
- Harvesting and Caring for your Harvested Lavender
- Developing your Lavender Farm’s Business Plan
- Marketing your Lavender and Farm
The content was developed with the expertise of lavender growers, a wide range of scientists, and is supported by Discovery Services in the MSU Libraries for technical support at MSU. It is recommended that all users have access to a relatively up-to-date computer equipped with speakers.
The cost of the curriculum is $30 per person. We will be working to monitor and improve our content so if you have suggestions, feel free to contact the instructors.
Go purple today and learn more about how to commercially grow lavender. To learn more about the course and register, visit “Growing Lavender: A Curriculum for Growers.”
To learn more about growing lavender, check out the MSU Extension article, “Growing lavender in Michigan: Advice for a purple garden.”
