Online Farm-Centered Learning Network for Social Change
collaborative, virtual learning opportunities for the global community.
Recent courses and certificates include:
Certificate in Applied Agroecology
A community-sourced curriculum, offering an introduction to the principles and application of ecological agriculture. MESA’s ground-breaking, popular interactive course provides the technical and theoretical toolkit needed to face our increasingly globalized food system. Drawing on agroecology’s ancestral roots in the global south, students gain an excellent foundation and join a global community seeking to build a just, agroecological future.
*2020 update: The certificate is currently offered as the second of two courses within MESA’s new AFFP program. To learn about the AFFP and submit an inquiry form, click here.
Certificate in Organic Seed Production
In 2016, MESA proudly partnered with the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) to develop a Seed Internship Program, supporting beginning seed farmers to access comprehensive learning resources, connect with mentors and buyers, and grow a network of experienced seed farms. Since 2016, over 400 students enrolled in this course! The course is not running in 2020, but is slated to begin again in 2021 on OSA’s own platform. Please visit OSA’s website for 2021 course information.
Farmers Building Climate Resilience & Fire Resilience
Funded via USDA Western SARE, MESA developed two online courses to help increase resilience for California farmers. In 2018, world-renowned agronomist and agroecologist Dr. Clara Nicholls generously contributed to the development and facilitation on our award-winning* On-Farm Climate Resilience course focused on agroecological approaches to climate change adaptation. In 2019-Spring 2020, MESA partnered with CAFF’s Farmers Guild to develop a Farmers Build Fire Resilience course, supporting farmers and ranchers in reducing their risk to wildfire.
Bay Area Farmer Training Program
Former students of our Bay Area program which ran from 2015-2018 participated in a multimedia curriculum to consider the technical, business,
ecological, political, social, and spiritual considerations of farming
– This course was offered for BAFTP students only