Free online courses are available in the e-Learning for Agriculture and Fisheries website which is a major component of the Philippine’s Department of Agriculture’s e-Extension Program. All the online resources and e-learning courses in the e-Learning for Agriculture and Fisheries website are managed and administered by the Agricultural Training Institute. This post lists and provides a short description of free online online courses available in the website which can be very helpful in taking your urban farming business to the next level.
Good Agricultural Practices for Vegetable Production
According to the course description from the website:
Yes you can produce safe and healthy vegetables.
Increase the market competitiveness of your vegetable produce by adopting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Through GAP, your produce can have a niche in the local and foreign market especially with the opening of the ASEAN economic integration.
The Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is a set of recommended standards and regulations that are easy to follow and apply. It will help you to prevent and reduce the risk of hazards during production, harvesting and postharvest handling of your produce. It encompasses food safety, environmental impact, workers’ health safety and welfare, and product quality?
After successfully finishing the course, you will be credited 40 hours of training and you will receive a Certificate of Completion. Ooops! That is only a bonus! If you apply all the lessons on your farm, you can request for a GAP Certification from the Department of Agriculture, absolutely free!
Although the course is designed for conventional farming the information outlined in the course can easily be adapted for hydroponics or urban farming. As highlighted in the quoted text above, if you apply all the lessons in the course on your farm you can request for a GAP certification from the Department of Agriculture absolutely free!
Production of High Value Crops in Greenhouse
According to the course description from the website:
Would you like to produce vegetables and earn money the year round?
This online course will teach you how.
This online course will provide an easy- to- follow technology on growing high value crops in greenhouses. You can finish the course in two months. This course was developed by ATI-Region 3.
Since hydroponic vegetable production requires a protective structure, i.e. a greenhouse, this course particularly is useful for hydroponic growers. The course contains important information about vegetable production in a protective structure. It even includes a lesson about making organic pesticide made from sanseveria plants.
Basic Urban Gardening
According to the course description from the website:
Welcome and thank you for your interest to this Basic Course in Urban Gardening.
This on-line certificate course is designed for people whose love for gardening is inevitable as well as those who wanted to make their selves loosen up after the pressing work in the bustling metropolis.
With small available spaces and recyclable containers at hand, this course will facilitate their need to maximize existing resources into a productive endeavour where organically grown herbs and vegetables can be produced at their very own homes?
The course discusses the basics of gardening and includes interesting urban gardening ideas. Useful not only for hydroponic growers but also for anyone interested in taking up gardening as a hobby in the bustling metropolis.
Online Course on Training Management
According to the course description from the website:
Training is an indispensable component of any human resource management. It has always been equated with improved performance that eventually leads to success or sustained growth. This partly depends on the quality of training provided. Developing therefore a training course that is relevant and responsive to the needs of these resources is always a great challenge for change agents, hence, this course.
Businesses require properly trained staff to operate at its full potential. This course is indispensable to any business owners who needs to train their staff about the day-to-day operations of their business.
Product Costing Made Easy
According to the course description from the website:
Costing is one of the perennial problems of SMEs joining trade fairs. This e-learning module aims to help you capture all yours cost and put them in an easy to use template using MS Excel with built-in formula. Additionally, understanding your cost will help you analyse how you can cut down your own costs to be more competitive and more profitable. However, it will be limited to domestic sales only. Production is mainly done manually and in batches.
Knowing your costs is the key to setting prices, lowering your costs and making improvements. The information contained in this course is indispensable to those who are just getting started in running their own business.
Links
Listed below are links to the free online training courses mentioned above:
Good Agricultural Practices for Vegetable Production
Production of High Value Crops in Greenhouse
Online Course on Training Management
Bonus: Your Guide to Starting a Small Enterprise
DTI also published an e-book entitled “Your Guide to Starting a Small Enterprise” which is a very useful guide for anyone planning to start a small business.
Greetings! I am a member of SNAP Hydroponics growers but I want to learn more from your web page. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you very much. Hoping for your kind approval and more power!
You’re welcome. Glad you find them helpful.
I’m busy with my schedule but hopefully I can find time learning the mechanics of a true gardener. I am weekend end farmer and preparing for my retirement, and my interest spurs after reading this forum. I hope I could join too.
Hello po. Im interested to learn about urban hydroponic farming . Please help me gather the right information on where i can avail materials and handbook as a beginner . Salamat po. Im from Zambales po. Thank u and God bless
Hello. Meron po dito http://app.snaphydroponics.info.
Yung handbook po kasama sa learning kit kapag nagseminar sa IPB-UPLB.