Organic Education & Courses

Europe

Organic Courses in the United Kingdom and Ireland
A complete listing of Universities, Colleges and other institutions offering full time and part time organic courses in the UK and Ireland.
Organic Courses in Germany and Austria
A partial list of institutions offering organic courses in Germany and Austria.
Homoeopathy at Wellie Level
A new course in the UK, designed to help farmers understand the concept of homoeopathy and how to use it on their own farm. The number of students is kept very small, and the course takes the beginner through the initial stages of first aid and routine farm use, as well as introducing the art of remedy selection for the sick animal.
Groenhorst College, Dronten, Netherlands
Full time courses in biodynamic agriculture.
Wageningen University and Research Centre, Department of Biological Farming Systems - MSc in Organic Agriculture.
The Organic Agriculture programme has been designed to train students in multiple aspects of organic agriculture and the associated processing and marketing chain. An important goal is to prepare the students for interdisciplinary teamwork at an academic level. The study offers two specialisations: Farm & Rural Environment and Markets & Consumers
More information at www.ecostudies.info
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy
The following courses are available:
International Postgraduate Course on Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Master of Science on Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Università della Tuscia, Facoltà di Agraria, Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale, Viterbo, Italy
The Agroecosystems sections provides teaching in sustainable and organic agriculture.
Research School for Organic Agriculture and Food Systems (SOAR)
Research school for Ph.D. students in organic agriculture and food systems based at The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL), Copenhagen, Denmark. The school finances and allocates Ph.D. stipends for research projects, and it arranges seminars, courses and summer schools.
DPCAS 1604 Ecological Agriculture
Dimitris Perrotis College of Agricultural Studies, The American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Master of Science in Agroecology
Nordic School of Agroecology/Ecological Agriculture
Nordic Agroecology Program
Rudina Permaculture Research Institute, Cegrane Municipality, Republic of Macedonia
Permaculture Design Certificate
Debrecen University, Faculty of Agronomy, Plant protection Department, Debrecen, Hungary
Provides a course on Crop Protection in Organic Farming

North America

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
OACC provides a list of organic agriculture courses offered on campuses at Canadian universities and colleges. OACC also provides several web-based courses.
Highlands Nature Sanctuary
The Highlands Nature Sanctuary in Bainbridge, Ohio is a 1600+ acre wilderness sanctuary offering internships on organic and biodynamic gardening, nature study, wilderness preservation/activism, community living, and natural foods cooking.
Organic Land Care
A 2 semester, part time access, continuing education course for landscape professionals, those considering a career in landscaping, and serious gardeners. The course is available in four institutions in British Columbia, Canada.
Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
As part of the University of California Santa Cruz, the Center offers academic and practical training in a variety of topics, including agroecology, sustainable agriculture, agricultural policy, landscape ecology, food security, rural studies and watershed conservation.
Sustainable Settings
Address: P.O. Box 336, 1199 Woody Creek Rd. Woody Creek, Colorado 81656, USA. Tel: 970.923.1366 Fax: 970.923.1367. Offers several workshops on permaculture as well as hands-on practical training.
Barking Frogs Permaculture Center
Based in Sparr, Florida, the Center provides live and correspondence courses, certificate courses by email, advanced training, consulting and permaculture design.
The Lyceum - School for Environmental Horticulture
Provides training courses for the turf grass industry, landscape contractors and homeowners, as well as consultancy services, in New York State.
Educational and Training Opportunities in Sustainable Agriculture (15th Edition, December 2002)
A directory of internships in organic, alternative, or sustainable agriculture. Compiled by the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library, ARS/USDA, 10301 Baltimore Ave., Rm. 304, Beltsville, MD 20705-2351. Tel: (301) 504-6559
The Sustainable Farming Program
Central Carolina Community College, Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA. An opportunity to learn from local experts in a program which emphasizes practical knowledge for sustainable enterprises.
Youth Scholarships for Organic Farm Camp
The Wilderness Education Institute (WEI), Boulder, Colorado, USA.
NCSU internship
Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in Goldsboro North Carolina, USA.
The Spiritual Dimensions of Food
Course on Biodynamic and Community Supported Agriculture.
A Practical Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture
Hedgerow Farm, Boulder, Colorado, USA, in conjunction with Naropa University.
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Organic Farm Apprenticeship Program
Farm and Garden Apprenticeship
University of California Santa Cruz, California
Diversified Farming Internships
Good Acre Farm, Virginia, USA.

Oceania

Academy of SAFE (Sustainable Agriculture & Food Enterprises) Therapies, Burleigh Junction, Queensland, Australia
The Agriculture Training Package is based on the six levels of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF). They are:
Diploma or Certificate in Agriculture (Specialising in Sustainable Agriculture)
Diploma or Certificate in Agriculture (Specialising in Organic Farming)
Australian Correspondence Schools, Lilydale, Victoria, Australia
Offers distance training courses, including the following:
Organic Plant Culture
Permaculture Systems
Advanced Permaculture
Crystal Waters College, Conondale, Queensland, Australia
Crystal Waters College is a partnership between SEED International and the Global Ecovillage Network Oceania/Asia Inc. They offer various courses in their Sustainable Communities, Ecovillage, and Permaculture Programmes.
Institute for Sustainable Regional Development, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Qld 4702, Australia
Offers the following courses:
Master of Sustainable Development
Graduate Diploma of Sustainable Development
Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Development
Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, New Zealand.
Organic Growing
Organic Hort Standards
Organic Soil Management
Permaculture Research Institute, The Channon, New South Wales, Australia
Offers various permaculture and sustainable living courses.
Taruna College, New Zealand
Diploma in Biodynamic Agriculture and Horticulture
University of Sydney, Orange Agricultural College, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Advanced Diploma of Land Management (Ecological Agriculture)
Bachelor of Land Management (Ecological Agriculture)
Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture
Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture
Master of Sustainable Agriculture

Asia

Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems Organic Farming Resource Centre, Kotturpuram, Chennai, India
Provides workshops and training programmes
ENCON, Maharashtra, India
ENCON conducts two international training programs every year on establishment of organic management systems for production, processing and marketing. They also conduct various in-plant and specialized training courses on request.

Africa

LINDROS Whole Earth Consultants
LINDROS provide the only registered 30-day organic agricultural training program in South Africa with the local National Department of Labour under their skills development program. They can also provide shorter more intensive training programs to meet the needs of trainees. The subjects and duration can be adapted from the National program.