Agriculture Courses

This course is designed to equip managers, supervisors, or people who want to work up to these positions within the industry (eg. at a riding school, race track, stud, farm etc) with the necessary management skills required to undertake such a role. 

Three horse care units coupled with a workplace project ensures that this comprehensive qualification is to a standard required in the horse industry.   An accredited course (through IARC)

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[More info & enrolment: ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN APPLIED MANAGEMENT (HORSES) VBS001]

 Develop a foundation for applying plant science in commercial situations. Many industries offer significant employment or business opportunities for people who have a moderate understanding of plant science, provided this knowledge is accompanied with a real sense of how it can be applied for commercial benefit in the real world. Unfortunately scientific training is often either too theoretical (lacking relevance to commerce), or too strongly skills based (ie. how to perform tasks without a solid understanding of the science behind the task). This course is something between those extremes. The certificate consists of 8 individual modules and 100 hour Industry Meetings or Research Project. This course is internationally accredited through I.A.R.C

 

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[More info & enrolment: ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN APPLIED PLANT SCIENCE VSC004]

Agriculture today is a highly competitive, global market. Many traditional forms of agriculture are sometimes difficult to operate competatively, particularly within developed countries, but even in the most competative economies, some agricultural enterprises still remain not only viable, but highly profitable. Success may be gained by value adding, or perhaps by filling a market niche not able to be readily filled by international or mass market competition. This is a very solid  training program for people wishing to work in alternative areas of agriculture at a technician or management level; in positions such as a farm manager, technical representatives, trainers or consultants.  This course is internationally accredited through I.A.R.C.

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[More info & enrolment: ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN AGRICULTURE -ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE VAG005]

This course provides training for people wishing to work with animal production at a technician or management level; in positions such as a farm manager, technical representatives, trainers or consultants. Modules available include: Animal Husbandry, Animal Breeding, Animal Behaviour, Aquaculture, Sustainable Agriculture, Organic Farming, Horse Care, Poultry, Pigs, Permaculture, Sheep, Dairy Cattle, Beef Cattle, Pasture Management, Mushroom Production, Nut Production, Fruit Production, Cut Flower Production, and more.
This course is internationally accredited through I.A.R.C.

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[More info & enrolment: ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN AGRICULTURE -ANIMAL HUSBANDRY VAG005]

Learn to sell farm produce. The core activity of any farm is producing animals or crops, but if the produce is not marketed at the right time for the right price, the whole financial viability of the farm is at best unstable. This course develops your ability to analyse and manage marketing problems in an agricultural enterprise.    

Being a successful rural businessman or woman is a difficult managerial role. Very few non-rural businesses are presented with the continuing changes and variations that confront a rural business. The impact of climate means the rural manager has to continually consider, evaluate, assess (and reassess) often on a daily or even hourly basis, the numerous changes and types of information that may affect the rural business success. A successful rural manager also needs to understand his unique markets, and how to capitalise on market forces to maximise business profit.

Marketing is not just selling!  It involves:

1. Attracting customers
2. Persuading them to buy
3. Selling
4. Keeping customers satisfied (so they come back!), by using the above and other strategies.

This course develops your ability to analyse and manage marketing problems in an agricultural enterprise. Topics covered include: market research, management of your marketing, promotions, handling produce, packaging, distribution, customer relations and more.

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[More info & enrolment: AGRICULTURAL MARKETING BAG304]

Develop a sound foundation knowledge of animal anatomy and physiology, as a basis to understanding care and/or management of animals in domesticated or wild situations.  This course provides a starting point for working with animals in any situation (farms, pets, zoos, wildlife, animal protection, etc).  This course covers cells & tissues, the digestive system, the circulartory system, the urinary system, the nervous system, respiration, reproductive systems, muscles, skeleton, growth, development and more.

If you want to understand animals; this is the perfect starting point!

 

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[More info & enrolment: ANIMAL ANATOMY and PHYSIOLOGY BAG101]

Learn the psychology behind animal behaviour. This provides an excellent foundation for working with animals in any situation: farms, zoos, veterinary practices, pet shops or even in the wild.

It is assumed that all animal behaviour is an adaptation designed to support survival, either directly or indirectly . However, this is not always the case. Animals can behave self-destructively, out of habit, or out of boredom, just as humans can. To better understand the behaviour, we should also consider what motivates it. Generally animal behavior includes

• Movement of parts of the body
• Stopping expected movement
• Secretions from the body
• Changes in body colour.

Behavior may be movtivated by many factors. Genetics is of prime importance (ie. inherited characteristics). Genetic characteristics are also sometimes referred to as “inborn”, “innate” or “instinctive”. Most animals are genetically programmed to act in certain ways in certain situations.

Experience (ie. learned characteristics), may encompass terms including: “acquired”, “experiential” or “environmental”. Behaviours can be learned through the experience of interacting with the environment (which includes the people or other creatures in it), or it can be learned through personal, subjective experience (perceptions, thoughts and feelings). In the case of animals, these latter factors are usually difficult to identify.

Since genetic and environmental factors both influence behaviour, it is impossible to distinguish particular causes for a behaviour. Particularly in regard to animals, no behaviour can ever be characterised as totally instinctive or totally learned. Even though learned and genetic factors both play a role in all behaviours, the relative significance of each is variable.

Other topics covered by this course include animal perception and behavior, the environment and its affect on behavior, social behavior, instinct and learning and much more.

Student Comment:   I found the course to be well written and explained, any queries i had were answered quickly, and the staff to be very friendly and helpful. In all the course has been invaluable. I am a little sad it is near the end as I have enjoyed the whole course    S. Crosbie-Ross

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[More info & enrolment: ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR BAG203]

Learn to plan implementation of an animal breeding program using genetic theory, practical applications to daily husbandry practice, and management of animal breeding programs. Including introduction to genetics, genetics, breeding, selection, pure breeding, cross breeding and livestock improvement. Learn many practical skills including the development of a breed program,development of procedures for selecting animals for breeding, developing a cross and pure breeding programs and more.

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[More info & enrolment: ANIMAL BREEDING BAG301]

Learn to care for the health of any type of animal (focus is on mammals and birds) and understand the scope of services offered by animal care services, including in veterinary practices. This course is appropriate for anyone interested in working with animals including on a farm, a wildlife park or a veterinary practice. It is a sound foundation course and designed to cover most of what is found in a typical veterinary assistants course in many countries around the world.

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[More info & enrolment: ANIMAL HEALTH CARE VAG100]

Learn to describe common diseases in animals, how to recognise and treat these diseases and wounds. It is useful to complete Animal Husbandry I before attempting this course. This course partially overlaps on Animal Health Care, but on balance these courses complement each other -there is benefit in doing both. 

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[More info & enrolment: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY II BAG201]

Learn how to understand the composition of a range of feeds, including pasture, fodder crops, grasses, cereals, seed, and other edible plants. This course also explains the role of proteins, vitamins and minerals in animal diets. It equips you with the skills required to evaluate feeding and select appropriate feeds - for digestibility and nutritional content - applicable to real life farming situations.

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[More info & enrolment: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY III BAG202]

Fish Farming is a Thriving Industry

Develop a capacity to develop and manage freshwater aquaculture enterprises. Aquaculture is the farming of water animals (eg. Fish, crustaceans) for human consumption. This course covers: water (e.g.source, purity, flow, temperature, dissolved oxygen), stocking rates, spawning, checking stock, stripping, fertilization, hatching, growth stages, feeding, harvesting, stocking and more.

This course was revised and notes significantly expanded in 2007.

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[More info & enrolment: AQUACULTURE BAG211]

A foundation qualification for a career at management or technician level in the equine industry. Graduates may find employment opportunities in any horse industry establishment including stables, stud farms, riding schools, veterinary practices, equine supply and service organisations/companies, event management or race courses.

• Accredited by International Accreditation and Recognition Council.
• Provides advance standing (credits) in higher qualifications (including Advanced Diplomas and Degrees) with Warnborough College (UK & Ireland), Australian Correspondence Schools, and an international network of ACS accredited colleges.

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[More info & enrolment: ASSOCIATE DIPLOMA IN EQUINE STUDIES (VAG009)]

Develop your abilities to analyse and make decisions about the management requirements of beef cattle.  The course is a comprehensive introduction covering such things as Cattle Breeds; Beef Cattle Production Systems; Cattle Breeding; Diseases in Beef Cattle; Nutrition for Beef Cattle; Commercial Herd Management; Feed Lot Management; Stud Herd Management; Management, Economics and Marketing .

 Comment from one of our Beef Cattle students:     "I find that I can apply my knowledge directly on the property. All assignments are relative to real life" C. Rowland Jones

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[More info & enrolment: BEEF CATTLE BAG206]

This course develops your ability to manage the rearing of calves for different agricultural purposes. It covers all aspects of calf rearing including calf selection, birth, calf diseases, rearing systems, calf housing, weaning and post weaning. Learn to select calves for specific purposes (eg. dairy, beef, breeding) and rear them to that end, identifying and dealing with health and other problems that may occur along the way.

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[More info & enrolment: CALF REARING BAG207]

Designed for the new farmer or those working toward employment in this field. This course develops a capacity to run or work confidently on a specialised or mixed farm. Core units equip you with all the basics needed for general animal health, farm management and all important marketing skills. Choose three elective units from a list that includes soil and pasture management and also gives you the opportunity to specialise in specific farm animals i.e. calf rearing, poultry, beef or dairy cattle etc. An excellent starting point to learn the fundamentals of farming.

This course is internationally accredited through International Accreditation and Recognition Council.

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[More info & enrolment: CERTIFICATE IN AGRICULTURE VAG001]

Train for a Career in Animal Health or Welfare

This is a comprehensive and highly practical course; for anyone who wants to better understand the health and wellbeing of animals. It is designed to provide a foundation for employment in any type of animal care job; whether pets, domesticated farm livestock or wildlife (captive or free).

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[More info & enrolment: CERTIFICATE IN ANIMAL HEALTH VAG015]

Learn to independently analyse and make decisions about the management requirements of dairy cattle:
comparing dairy breeds, managing anything from one cow to a large herd, and producing dairy products (milk, cheese, cream butter etc). This is a very sound foundation course developed in collaboration with industry and by our team of experts (agricultural and animal scientists, veterinary surgeons etc).

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[More info & enrolment: DAIRY CATTLE BAG205]

Develop your understanding of equine behaviour and your ability to apply that to the welfare and training of the horse.
Behaviour is any externally observable activity of an animal. In general, it includes:
• Movement of parts of the body
• Stopping expected movement
• Secretions from the body
• Changes in body colour

People study equine behaviour to be able to understand and recognise “normal” behaviour and from this be able to identify and do something about “abnormal” behaviour; and better manage a horse.  Knowledge of equine behaviour can also assist in training. By knowing how a horse is likely to behave in a certain situation, it allows the rider to prepare for it and to either avoid or resolve that particular situation.

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[More info & enrolment: EQUINE BEHAVIOUR BAG216]

Farming is just as much about management as it is about animal or crop production. Unfortunately in today's world, the ability to produce a good animal or crop is no guarantee ofr success!

Through this course, learn to analyse, diagnose and make decisions related to management of a farm business. The course relates to managing all resources, including; production, staff, physical resources, and natural resources. You learn strategic planning, whole farm planning, and how to prepare a business plan.

This course was developed by a team of experts from Australia and the UK, under the leadership of John Mason, author of three Farm Management books (published by imprints of Simon & Schuster and CSIRO)

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[More info & enrolment: FARM MANAGEMENT BAG104]

Learn to manage the daily requirements of a horse at grass. The course aims to develop:

The ability to handle horses using a range of different procedures

Skills to evaluate a horses conformation

An understanding of diet

Knowledge of grooming procedures

An ability to develop appropriate management procedures for a specific situation.

Knowledge of commercial opportunities in the horse industry, including how to buy and sell horses.

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[More info & enrolment: HORSE CARE I BAG102]

Learn to care for horses in a stable, and deepen your knowledge of bedding, mucking out, foot care and shoeing, tack, exercise and Conditioning.  Analyse and determine feeding requirements and techniques available, and develop stable management programs.
This course follows on from Horse Care I; but this is a stand alone course and can be taken without Horse Care I.

Student Comment: 'I went from negligible knowledge of horses to a new level of basic knowledge. Now, I am truly useful around the stable and farm. I would like to make this my retirement career, following my 30-years as a professional mechanical engineer.' H. Davidson

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[More info & enrolment: HORSE CARE II BAG202]

Building on Horse Care I and II, learn to better manage the health and condition of horses in different situations; identifying signs of poor condition, and address those problems appropriately. Understand things that can stress a horse and increase it's susceptibility to problems and know how to manage situations (eg. events, travel, weather) to minimse risk.

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[More info & enrolment: HORSE CARE III BAG302]

Learn to design and manage simple irrigation systems for agricultural applications. Understand soil characteristics that affect irrigation needs (eg. drainage, water holding capacity), Estimating Plant Needs, Irrigation Scheduling, Types of Irrigation Systems (eg. sprinkler, drip or trickle, flood), and equipment (eg. pumps and filters).

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[More info & enrolment: IRRIGATION BAG213]

This course builds on skills existing irrigation skills and knowledge acheived in Irrigation (Agricultural) BAG213 or an equivalent course. The course develops students' abilility to participate in design and operation of large scale irrigation systems for agricultural applications.

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[More info & enrolment: IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT (AGRICULTURAL) BAG303]

Holistic Treatment or “Holistic Therapies” are designed to treat the whole patient whether it be animal or human as opposed to the specific symptom they may be displaying. Holistic treatment is thought to treat the illness by boosting the immune system and overall health of the animal, which will in turn treat any secondary illnesses. The foundation of holistic treatment is optimal nutrition. This is the “fuel” for the body and therefore needs to contain all of the essential components that an animal needs to boost its immune system and maintain health. We look at natural nutrition in more detail later in the course.

Other important elements of the holistic treatment of ailments and diseases in animals are naturopathy, herbal treatments, tactile therapy and homeopathy.

Learn about the nature & scope of natural therapies that can be used to treat animals. This course is perfect for people who would like to work in Animal Health Care through holistic methods such as naturopathy, homeopathy, herbal treatments and tactile therapy.

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[More info & enrolment: NATURAL HEALTH CARE FOR ANIMALS BAG218]

Organic farming has distinct advantages, for the environment, for human health, and also for farm economics.

There are many definitions of organic farming. A commonly accepted definition is “farming without the addition of artificial chemicals”. All kinds of agricultural products are produced organically – vegetables, fruit, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, and fibres such as cotton and wool. Many processed foods are also produced organically (e.g. bread).

In the past organic farm production was often considered as being only for radicals or hippies. Now it is seen as a viable economic move – with benefits to the farm soil, to the environment, and to the purchasers of the products.

Organic farming has been adopted by some farmers for economic reasons, others for ethical or sustainability concerns. Whatever the reason for going organic, there is no doubt this method of farming is here to stay.

Through this course, learn to manage both plant and animal production in a more natural and environmentally sensitive way and develop a sound foundation for understanding how to set up an organic farm, or convert an existing farm to organic practices. This course provides the student with a solid understanding of the systems and management techniques of organic farming for both crops and livestock.

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[More info & enrolment: ORGANIC FARMING BAG305]

 Pastures are critical to many types of farms. Farmers have been known to turn unprofitable farms into commercial successes by simply improving pasture. Whether dealing with small or large properties, pasture management is an important part of many types of farm enterprises. This course is designed to be useful to those already managing existing pastures and those who wish to establish successful new pastures.

Every livestock farmer is first and foremost a pasture farmer. He may make use of the natural grasses or he may improve his pastures by planting special grasses or legumes. A good farmer recognises the different grasses and legumes, and understands how to get the best out of them. He will be able to distinguish between desirable and undesirable plants and he will know the grazing habits of his stock.

The whole art of understanding and managing pastures is highly complex because there are so many parts to it and each of these parts constantly change. For example, there are a great many varieties of plants that are used for grazing in any one area. Each plant has its own rhythm and will react differently to environmental conditions and treatment.

The distribution of pasture species is also limited by various climatic factors particularly:

• The soil type and class of land
• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Seasonal variations in the length of daylight

Learn to evaluate, design and make decisions about the management of pasture for different purposes. This comprehensive course investigates different pasture types, the structure, growth and development of grasses, grass identification, the establishment of new pastures, the importance of legumes in pastures, selection of pasture types, seed mix, management of existing pastures, native grasslands, weed control, limiting factors, managing stock on pasture, management works.

Pastures are critical to many types of farms. Farmers have been known to turn unprofitable farms into commercial successes by simply improving pasture. Whether ydealing with small or large properties, pasture management is an important part of many types of farm enterprises. Learn to evaluate, design and make decisions about the management of pasture for different purposes. 

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[More info & enrolment: PASTURE MANAGEMENT BAG212]

A course for pet owners or anyone working with pets, providing a sound introduction to caring for a wide variety of different pets including dogs, cats, fish, birds, rabbits, rodents, reptiles and amphibians.  This course was developed and tutored by highly qualified and experienced professionals (Veterinary Surgeon, former wildlife park manager, university lecturers etc). This course provides an outstanding opportunity to extend your knowledge, perspective and capacity to care for all types of pets.

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[More info & enrolment: PET CARE AAG100]

Learn pig management: for commercial production, self sufficiency, or a hobby. This course is relevant to whatever production system you use. All domesticated pigs are descended from two closely related species:

1. sus vittatus, from Asia (mainly China and Thailand)
2. Sus scrofa , the wild pig of Europe and North Africa

The asian pig has short legs, a wide dished face and the ability to fatten rapidly. The influence of this pig can be seen in the Berkshire and Middle White breeds. The European pig was thin with a long, pointed face. The Tamworth is a modern pig that shows these characteristics. Fixing and improvement of breeds has been taking place for over one hundred years. Pigs are kept only for the production of meat. The meat can be used in two different ways - pork and bacon. As such, two distinct types of pig have evolved:

1. Pork type : for the production of fresh meat
2. Bacon type : for the production of cured meat, bacon and ham.

In modern pig husbandry, it is not so important to choose a pork type or a bacon type. Due to better breeding, stricter selection and, above all, scientific feeding the modern pig can produce good quality pork OR bacon. The feeding system and age at slaughter will determine what the pig will produce.

A sound founation course, it develops a broad understanding of pig biology and production; covering such things as breeding and selection, feeding, diseases, boar management, managing the sow and litter, fattening pigs, record keeping and more.

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[More info & enrolment: PIGS BAG209]

Learn to manage poultry on a small or large scale, for production of eggs, meat or young birds. This course covers all aspects of poultry care and management including: Terminology, Breeds , Nutrition, Diseases in Poultry, Layers, Broilers, Incubation, Brooding, Record Keeping, Economics & Marketing; and is relevant to free range or other forms of production.

Whether a small flock for home use or a start up commercial farm, you don't need a large acreage (as with horses or cattle), and you can start seeing results (eg. egg production) much faster than you might see with other types of animal production. This course covers all aspects of poultry care and management including: Terminology, Breeds , Nutrition, Diseases In Poultry, Layers, Broilers, Incubation, Brooding, Record Keeping, Economics & Marketing.

A solid foundation course for:

• Farm Workers
• Hobby Farmers
• Enthusiastic amateurs

   Student Comment (K. Houlden):  "Pleased with all aspects of the course"

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[More info & enrolment: POULTRY BAG208]

Sheep are an important agricultural livestock that are bred for meat and wool worldwide. Careful and informed management of your flock will ensure increased productivity and efficiency. Aimed at professional and amateur graziers, the course provides you with the knowledge to run your sheep effectively and productively and will help you to develop your ability to independently analyse and make decisions about the management requirements of sheep.

The course offers you the chance to understand more about the care and management of sheep. It covers a diverse range of topics relating to sheep such as: breeds; selection and breeding; nutrition; diseases of sheep; commercial flock management; lamb care; wool ;and the marketing of sheep and sheep products.

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[More info & enrolment: SHEEP BAG210]

Soil is the foundation for profitable farming. There are many things that can be wrong with soil (eg. poor nutrition, chemical imbalance, structural problems such as drainahe, lack of microbial life etc). Often minor and releatively inexpensive treatments can make a huge difference to productivity, but the problems need to be identified first, and that requires a solid understanding of soil theory and management practice. Learn about soil properties and requirements in agriculture, and how to apply that knowledge at a management level.

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[More info & enrolment: SOIL MANAGEMENT (AGRICULTURE) BAG103]

Today the pressure is on for more and more farmers to work towards sustainable systems of farming which produce healthy, nutritious, affordable food and a dependable, secure food supply -without producing a negative impact on the environment. Sustainable farms should protect the environment, preserve open spaces, forests and wildlife and also encourage and conserve biodiversity, plus provide the farmer and farm workers with a good living.

This course is aimed at those who want to help the world move towards the preservation of our natural resources and to maintain the delicate balance of our ecosystems. Economic, commercial, marketing and production techniques are explored in a multi-facetted way to help move a farm towards improved sustainability.

Sustainable agricultural practices must not impact negatively on the environment therefore this course encourages:

• The investigation of how farming practices impacts on and shapes the future of the environment
• Farming practices that suit the local environment and reduce the impact on it
  
• Examination of the best use of natural resources; the use of water in production; preservation of soil quality; responsible use of chemicals and fertilizers; reducing the potential for salinity and pollution of waterways.
  
• The conservation of biodiversity
  
• Long term improvements in productivity
  
• Social improvement, through sustainable practices (both monetary and non- monetary)
  
• Flexibility and risk management (in fluctuating markets and climate variations)

 

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[More info & enrolment: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE - BAG215]

Learn to identify and effectively control weeds. You learn about both chemical and non-chemical control methods (e.g. mulching, burning, slashing), the use of spray equipment, and safety procedures which should be followed.

The course provides valuable learning for land managers, farmers, gardeners, orchardists, market gardeners, landscapers, spray contractors, nurserymen or anone else concerned with the control of weeds.

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[More info & enrolment: WEED CONTROL BHT209]