online course

Online Artisan Dairy Food Safety Plan Coaching Workshop

glass of milk sitting outside with grass in backgroundUConn is currently offering a new Artisan Dairy Food Safety Plan Coaching workshop program. The online, self-paced Virtual Artisan Dairy Food Safety Plan Coaching Workshop is intended for small to mid-sized cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and other dairy food producers who are preparing to create, or are already developing, a Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliant, preventive control (PC)-based, food safety plan for their facility.   The goal of this online program is to combine self-paced food safety plan educational material with direct, real-time connections to dairy food safety coaches for artisan dairy producers wherever they may be in the country.  Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) lead trainers review key food safety plan topics in each self-paced module.Each month, there are two “office hour” Q&A sessions that provide participants with the opportunity to ask questions about the module topics or about their own specific food safety plan questions with food safety experts.  This way artisan producers can work through their plan at their pace throughout and have more readily available expert support throughout the process.

There are NO prerequisites. PCQI certification is recommended but not required prior to enrollment.

Who Should Attend: Small to mid-sized cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and other dairy food producers just starting off, those taking the next step in their Food Safety Plan Development, and those looking for a review of their current plans.

Attendees are encouraged to enroll and complete the Food Safety for Artisan/Farmstead Cheesemakers prior to taking this workshop. The link, along with a code, to this online training, will be provided upon registration.

These workshops are made possible through the support of a USDA grant, obtained in collaboration with Cornell University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, and the Innovation Center for US Dairy.

Register.

View the office hours schedule.

Online Environmental Courses Available

wetlands with blue sky and cloudsThe Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) is the new home to a suite of online certificate trainings. The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) offers online certificate courses for new and existing land use officials charged with protecting our environment. DEEP asked CLEAR to host them to expand reach and access. DEEP issues a Certificate of Achievement upon successful course completion. The courses are not limited to municipal officials. DEEP encourages participation by anyone interested in learning about land use in Connecticut—all courses are free. Online training modules from CLEAR’s Land Use Academy and Adapt CT, as well as links to training schedules for the New Farms and Farmers and the Geospatial Training programs are also available.

DEEP Certificate Trainings

  • Aquifer Protection Program Technical Training
  • Municipal Inland Wetlands Agency Comprehensive Training Program
  • Hazardous Waste Management Training
  • The 21st Century Resilient Business: How Managing Chemicals Can Help You Weather the Storm (in development)

We offer several online courses, in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), for new and existing land use officials charged with protecting our environment. DEEP issues a Certificate of Achievement upon successful course completion. The courses are not limited to municipal officials; DEEP encourages participation by anyone interested in learning about land use in Connecticut—all courses are free.

Register at https://s.uconn.edu/course

Online Course Explores History of GMOs and More

yellow ears of corn with green husks
UConn Extension is offering an online course, Let’s Talk GMOs: Creating Consistent Communication Messages. Participants are introduced to the basics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They will learn how to create consistent communication messages and manage dialogue processes about GMOs with various audiences. The asynchronous course is available on-demand; it has eight online modules with instructors from UConn. The fee is $49. Learn more at s.uconn.edu/gmocourse

Learn Gardening Fundamentals in New Online Course

FANs gardenInterested in how plants grow? Do you want a healthy, productive, and sustainable landscape for your home?  UConn Extension now offers the Fundamentals of Home Gardening, an asynchronous online series of classes covering a wide variety of gardening topics. These classes explore the foundation of good gardening practices, and help explain the “why” of successful gardens.  Taught by UConn Extension educators and specialists, and drawing on the Extension Master Gardener curriculum, this four-part, online series can be taken at your own pace, at times that work for you. Choose just the segments you’re interested in or complete all four components and earn a certificate of completion in the Fundamentals of Home Gardening.

The four modules cover Core Fundamentals, Environmental Factors, Ornamental Plants and Growing Your Own Foods. Each module is independent and does not require any prerequisites. All modules will be available by the end of April, and a registrant will have six weeks to complete the three or four classes contained per module.

Modules are $150 each. A flyer with more information is available. Space is limited. Registration is at https://uconnmastergarden-ers.gosignmeup.com/  or for more information, contact sarah.bailey@uconn.edu.

Vegetable Production Certificate Course

We’re offering a Vegetable Production Certificate Course, beginning on March 12, 2020. It’s a hybrid format, online and in-person for new and beginning farmers. This year only, we have a special introductory fee of $100 or $150 plus $4 convenience fee depending on the course option you choose.

The course description is available at http://bit.ly/Vegetables2020 and online registration is at http://bit.ly/ExtensionStore.

Registration is due by 5 PM on March 2, 2020.

Please contact the course coordinator, Shuresh Ghimire (Shuresh.Ghimire@uconn.edu, 860-870-6933) with any questions about this course.

Vegetable Production Certificate Course

vegetable production flyervegetable production flyer
We’re offering a Vegetable Production Certificate Course, beginning on March 12th. It’s a hybrid format, online and in-person for new and beginning farmers. This year only, we have a special introductory fee of $100 or $150 depending on the course option you choose.

This vegetable production course is designed to benefit beginner vegetable producers who have 0-3 years of vegetable growing experience or no formal training in agriculture. The participants will learn answers to the basic questions about farm business planning, planning and preparing for vegetable farm, warm and cool-season vegetable production techniques, season extension, identification of biotic and abiotic issues, and marketing.

Please contact the course coordinator, Shuresh Ghimire (Shuresh.Ghimire@uconn.edu, 860-870-6933) with any questions about this course.

Food Safety for Artisan Cheesemakers

cheese productionDr. Dennis D’Amico has been working with North Carolina State University to convert his cheese food safety workshop into an online program. They recently launched the online course: Food Safety for Artisan Cheesemakers. The course will be offered at no cost until the end of the year by using the code INTRO-FREE.   To enroll : https://foodsafety.ncsu.edu/food-safety-basics-artisan-cheesemakers/.


The course was designed to assist Artisan and Farmstead Cheese-makers to develop/refine their food safety programs to protect consumers and comply with food safety regulations. It is intended to equip cheese-makers with knowledge of basic food safety concepts and introduce a number of best practices/preventive controls.  The class was developed at North Carolina State University in a collaborative effort of food safety and cheese experts from the University of Connecticut, the Center For Dairy Research, Cornell University, the Innovation Center for US Dairy, and includes extensive input from Artisan Cheesemakers.  The course begins with a welcome letter and orientation to online learning and then has five interactive learning modules with professional voiceover, video, and an accompanying quiz:
 
Lesson 1: Importance of Food Safety
Lesson 2: Regulations and Standards
Lesson 3: Food Safety Hazards
Lesson 4: Good Manufacturing Practices and Process Controls
Lesson 5: Environmental Pathogen Monitoring and Testing