Cornell Small Farms Program opens registration for 2026 online courses

The Cornell Small Farms Program has opened registration for its 2026 online course season, with seven courses beginning Sept. 21-24 on farm startups, finances, land health and production.

The first block includes Starting at Square One, Building Farm Financial Records to Measure Success, Reading the Land, Beef Cattle Management, Vegetable Production I and Getting Started with Pastured Pigs. A Spanish-language farm startup course, Cómo Iniciar su Negocio Agrícola, begins Sept. 24.

The program offers more than 40 online courses overall. More than 32,000 students have taken at least one course during the past seven years, according to the Cornell Small Farms Program. Nearly 70% of participating students who are actively farming decided to further invest in growing their operations after completing a course.

Courses combine self-paced materials with weekly webinars, which are recorded for participants unable to attend live. Instructors include experienced farmers, Extension educators and agricultural service providers.

Course prices are tiered based on household size and income, with scholarships available to eligible New York farmers and military veterans.