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