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Course in Organic Crop Production

* Please check the Fee Schedule for Application Fees, Course Fees and Other Fees

About the course:

The course, Organic Crop Production on the Prairies, was developed by the University of Manitoba, and is offered both as a credit course and non-credit course.

The Canadian prairie region is one of the world's "bread baskets", with over 46 million hectares of arable land. Organic crop production is a rapidly growing enterprise with over 1100 certified organic farmers in the three prairie provinces.

To be successful, organic producers must understand the principles behind soil and crop management and become familiar with organically acceptable practices. Producers must also understand the best cropping options during the critical "transition to organic" phase.

"Organic Crop Production on the Prairies" contains seven modules that address optimum crop production. The course highlights organic crop production principles and practices in both wet and dry areas of the prairies and within the different prairie soil zones. Decision cases are used to provide students with real-world challenges facing organic farmers. Students will also learn through readings, on-line class discussions and written assignments. The course consists of seven stand-alone modules and will be delivered using a WebCT platform.

Module 1. Introduction to Organic Crop Production on the Prairies.
Organic farming is growing rapidly on the Canadian prairies as well as in the Peace River Region of B.C. and the northern US states. This module will introduce you to the organic industry on the prairies. What are the major organic crops? How does the organic certification process work? The module includes information on how to convert a farm to organic, the certification process and certification agencies.

Module 2. Adaptations to new ways of thinking
A systems approach is critical to the success of organic production. What is a systems approach to crop production? How can I improve my systems analysis skills? What does systems thinking really mean in the context of a farm? This module focuses on systems approaches aimed at helping students with holistic soil and crop management planning.

Module 3. Prairie environment
The Canadian prairie region contains 46 million hectares of arable land, plus about 8 million hectares of forage/pasture lands and 15 million hectares of native rangelands. Scientists have divided the prairie region into 4 "soil zones". The climate of this region varies a great deal. Also, weather variation in any one prairie zone tends to be greater than in most other soil zones of Canada. Organic farming practices must account for soil and weather variability. This module is designed to give students an overview of prairie soil and climate conditions.

Module 4. Transition to organic
What is the best way to "transition" into organic crop production? Is there a particular cropping system that makes the transition phase easier? What should be done in conventional production before starting the transition process? This module focuses on crop rotation and crop management strategies to facilitate the transition process. Economics of transition as well as crop rotation and pest and nutrient management strategies will be reviewed.

Module 5. Organic Crop Production Principles
What are the guiding principles of a good organic cropping system? Are there certain goals that a producer should always keep in mind? The answer to the last question is yes. In this module, we will present and discuss the "six principles of organic crop production": biodiversity, diversity and integration of enterprise, sustainability, natural pest management, natural soil fertility, and integrity.

Module 6. Organic Crop Production Practices
This is the largest module in the course. The module includes a detailed description of farming practices required for successful organic farming. These practices will be discussed in the context of the six organic farming principles. Also, specific examples from moist and dry prairie soil zones will be presented.

Module 7. Decision case studies
How are weed and soil fertility maintenance problems dealt with on prairie farms? Decision cases provide the opportunity for students to wrestle with such real-world problems. In this module, students will work on problems experienced by prairie organic farmers. Students will be given a case study farm plus 1 or 2 specific problems faced by the farmer. By developing solutions to real-world organic farming problems, students will synthesize course material and practice problem-solving skills.

About the Instructor:

Joanne Thiessen Martens is originally from Austin, Manitoba, where she grew up on a small mixed farm. She studied in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agroecology in 1999. She has worked in the Department of Plant Science as a research assistant in the areas of Pesticide Free Production and alternative cropping systems. She spent three years on a voluntary service term with Mennonite Central Committee in northeastern Brazil, where she worked with a small association of small-scale organic fruit and vegetable producers, offering assistance in the production and marketing of organic produce. She has worked for several years in the Department of Plant Science as a research assistant/associate in the areas of Pesticide Free Production, alternative cropping systems, and natural systems agriculture.

To Apply:

Please contact Lorrie Koroscil in the School of Agriculture, University of Manitoba, at (204) 474-9391, or email ag_school@umanitoba.ca for questions on your eligibility to register in the course and for detailed information on the registration process. Space is limited.

Students who take this course for credit should have completed at least two years of university in agricultural sciences, or in general science.

Credit Option:

Students interested in this course for an academic credit course, in either degree or diploma, must apply for admission to the University of Manitoba as a virtual (visiting) student. Students enrolled at another academic institution wishing to take the organic course as credit toward their program should:

1. complete a U of M application form
2. provide an official Letter of Permission from their home institution if applicable
3. provide an official transcript from their home institution
4. submit a $75 application fee
5. if currently enrolled at the University of Manitoba, application fees do not apply. Please ensure that you select the correct course number (PLNT 0820 - Diploma, or PLNT 3560 - Degree).

Application Deadline for Credit Option: December 1, 2008

Please see the Application Process for further details.

Entrance requirements and admission policy for the University of Manitoba is outlined on the Registry's website.

Non-Credit Option:

Non-credit option students are not required to meet admission requirements, nor will they be required to complete assignments or examinations. No grade for the course will be issued.

The application form for the non-credit option is available in .pdf format. Please print it out, and mail it to the School of Agriculture along with your payment. Please see the Application Process for further details.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

In order to plan effective programming, this course has minimum and maximum enrollment limits. If a course is cancelled, you will be notified within three working days of the registration deadline. Your tuition is refunded if a course must be cancelled. Please register early to avoid unnecessary cancellations.

If you wish to withdraw from a course, please notify us, in writing or by e-mail, prior to the registration deadline. If you withdraw from a course, tuition will not be refunded in full after the registration deadline.

For additional information:

School of Agriculture
248 Agriculture Building
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3T 2N2
Phone: 204-474-9391
Fax: 204-474-7525
email: ag_school@umanitoba.ca

Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences