Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT NOFA)and Holistic Management International recently completed its Whole Farm Planning Certificate program, comprised of ten five-hour sessions that took place December through April of 2016.
For the last six years, CT NOFA has partnered with Holistic Management International to implement the Beginning Women Farmer program in Connecticut, but this was the first time that the program was made available to all farmers, including beginning, experienced and aspiring farmers.
The lead instructor for the series of classes was Sherry Simpson, who with her husband, Art Talmadge, runs Cranberry Hill Farm in Ashford, Connecticut. Both Sherry and Art credit their Holistic Management training with completely transforming the way they farm.
Classes began on December 5, with many taking place at the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in Rockfall, CT. The remaining classes took place on sustainable family farms that were located throughout the state.
Curriculum for the certificate course was as follows:
Orientation & Holistic Goal Setting
Time Management & HM/HG Review
Financial Planning I
Financial Planning II
Marketing Planning
Business Planning
Leadership & Communication
Land Planning
Grazing Planning
Biomonitoring & Soil Fertility
Here are the results from the course:
A special thank you goes out to CT NOFA for co-sponsoring this event with HMI!