Program Schedule
PROPOSED 2025 Schedule
MSU Organic Farmer Training Program
- BOLD = On-Farm Learning Days
- Italics = Online Interactive Learning
- Underlined = Field Trips
2/24/2025 | 1 | Welcome + Intros + Values & Goals (On-Farm in Detroit, location TBD) | ||
3/3/2025 | 2 | Intros + Farm Plans for Businesses, Homesteads & Community Farms + Using the Class tools (online) | ||
3/10/2025 | 3 | Farm Tour + Understanding Soils + Pruning Fruit (On-Farm in East Lansing) | ||
3/17/2025 | 4 | Soils! Soil Maps + Fertility/Cover Crops/Compost + Soil Plans | ||
3/24/2025 | 5 | Enterprise/Project Choices; Enterprise Budgets + Present Soil Plans (online) | ||
3/31/2025 | 6 | Organic Certification + Crop Plans, Succession, Crop Rotations (online) | ||
4/7/2025 | 7 | Farm Tour + Transplant Production (on-farm at Keep Growing Detroit) | ||
4/14/2025 | 8 | Other Certifications + Conservation Programs/Techniques + Site Planning (online) | ||
4/21/2025 | 9 | Market Options + Community Engagement + Present Site Plans + Community Q &A review (online) | ||
4/28/2025 | 10 | Crop Families & Intercropping/3 Sisters + Rainwater Harvest + Community Q & A review (on-farm) | ||
5/5/2025 | 11 | Market/Community Research + Community Q&A (online) | ||
5/12/2025 | 12 | Farm Tour + Race & Food Systems + Farms & Farmers (on-farm, location TBD) | ||
5/19/2025 | 13 | Field Trip 1: 4 Detroit Farms | ||
5/26/2025 | No Class – Memorial Day | |||
6/2/2025 | 14 | Planting & Irrigation + Cucurbits (on-farm) | ||
6/9/2025 | 15 | Weeds + Greens (on-farm) | ||
6/16/2025 | 16 | Field Trip 2: 4 Ann Arbor Farms | ||
6/23/2025 | No Class – Juneteenth | |||
6/30/2025 | 17 | Insect Pests & Beneficials, Crop Diseases + Roots (on-farm) | ||
7/7/2025 | 18 | Labor Plan + Volunteers + Farmer Wellness + Risk/Insurance (online) | ||
7/14/2025 | 19 | Season Extension + Alliums (on-farm) | ||
7/20 to 7/22 | 20 | Field Trip 3: 6+ Chicago Farms with bunkhouses/camping at Camp Bullfrog Lake (Sun/Mon/Tues) | ||
7/28/2025 | 21 | Tree Fruits & Berries (on-farm at Detroit Partnership for Food Learning & Innovation) | ||
8/4/2025 | 22 | Cut Flowers + Herbs (on-farm) | ||
8/11/2025 | 21 | Startup Budgets + Loans, Grants and Funding + Community Q & A (online) | ||
8/18/2025 | 22 | Tractors & Equipment + Solanaceae (on-farm at MSU Student Organic Farm in E. Lansing) | ||
8/25/2025 | 23 | Field Trip 5: Lansing Farms | ||
9/1/2025 | No Class – Labor Day | |||
9/8/2025 | 26 | Field Trip 4: Grand Rapids Farms | ||
9/15/2025 | 27 | Food Safety, Harvest & Wash/Pack +Brassicas (on-farm) | ||
9/22/2025 | 28 | Financials + Sustainability Plans + Business/Non-Profit Types (online) | ||
9/29/2025 | 29 | Field Trip 6: Flint Farms | ||
10/6/2025 | 30 | Records, Pricing, Taxes + Farm Plan Presentation Prep + OFTP Survey (online) | ||
10/13/2025 | No Class – Indigenous People's Day | |||
10/20/2025 | 31 | Farm Plan Presentations + OFTP Community Input Session (online) | ||
10/27/2025 | 32 | Farm Plan Presentations + Vision for Food & Ag Systems (online) | ||
11/3/2025 | 33 | Farm Plan Presentations (online) | ||
TBD | Graduation celebration |
Typical Schedule
May vary due to guests, weather, or activities.
On-Farm Days, 13 Mondays, 9am-3:45pm
@ Keep Growing Detroit or the MSU Student Organic Farm
- 9 – 10 am Farmwalk or Theme activities
- 10 – 10:20am Break
- 10:20 - Hands-on Activities
- Noon – 1pm Lunch Break
- 1 – 3:00pm Hands-on or Theme Activities
- 3:00– 3:30pm Discuss Community Q & A Questions
- 3:30 – 3:45 Evaluation
Field Trips, 5 Mondays (~8am-6pm) + 1 Weekend
5 day trips:
- Detroit (4 farms)
- Lansing (3 or 4 farms)
- Ann Arbor (3 or 4 farms)
- Grand Rapids (3 farms)
- Kalamazoo or Flint (3 or 4 farms)
1 weekend trip:
- Chicago* (6+ farms and a few fun field trips!)
Carpool or drive solo.
*The 2025 Chicago trip will be Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, July 20 to 22nd. The Chicago trip includes group camping or simple bunkhouse (your choice, free of charge) at a county park 30 minutes southwest of downtown Chicago. If you prefer not to camp or stay in the cabin, you can choose to pay for your own overnight options or stay with friends in the area.
Online Days, 14 Mondays, 9am-5pm
- 9 – 10am Vision Sharing Presentations
- 10 – 11am Break or 1:1 advising
- 11am – noon Full Group Activities
- Noon – 1pm Lunch break
- 1 – 2:30pm Guest Speakers
- 2:30–3:30pm Break or 1:1 advising
- 3:30 – 4:45 Small Group Activities
- 4:45 – 5pm Evaluation & Sharing