Grow your farm business through continuing education

To meet the demands of an ever-changing and complex industry, farmers need to adapt and keep up with the latest practices and technologies – and one way to do this is through continuing education. By investing in developing new skills, you’re giving yourself the tools and knowledge to address new challenges better, make more informed business decisions, seize opportunities and prepare for the future.

Foundations in Agriculture Management

The University of Guelph, in partnership with FCC and RBC's Future Launch program, has developed a completely free online training course called Foundations in Agricultural Management. This introductory program is open to all farm business owners, regardless of the size of their operation or level of experience and anyone who wants to improve their understanding of farm management.

1. Taught by recognized researchers and instructors who are ag experts, the course is divided into eight video modules covering these five key concepts for the sound management of a farm business:
2. Business planning and strategy – developing a business plan with clear and precise goals.
3. Financial literacy – how to increase profits and assess your business's financial health.
4. Human resources management – how to assess your leadership style and attract, recruit and retain employees while improving their engagement, motivation and performance.
5. Risk management – assessing risk and implementing appropriate action plans.
6. Farm transition planning – how to successfully plan a family farm transition.

The course can be taken at your own pace and is offered in English and French. After finishing all modules and associated tests, the University of Guelph will issue a certificate of completion.

Program has proven success

Attracting 2,800 participants within weeks of its launch in January 2022, feedback has been unanimously positive about the program's added value.

Claudelle Touchette-Gagnier, a dairy farmer from the Montérégie region of Quebec, shares her positive experience and the benefits it has brought her.

"This course provides a wealth of important information for any farm manager. It allowed me to build my knowledge and acquire new skills that have positively impacted my farm. In addition, I particularly liked the flexible format; it suited my lifestyle perfectly."


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