OFTP - A Day in the Life

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Tranplanting using the Water Wheel Transplanter
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Farm Stand Setup Demonstration
Direct Marketing - May 7, 2018
9 - 9:15: Announcements, discuss readings & videos
9:15 - 10:15: Market Channel Discussion
10:15 - 10:30: Walk to Farm
10:30 - Noon: Hands-on Farm Activities (30 minutes then rotate)
  • Transplanting using the Water Wheel Transplanter
  • Mushroom Production Demonstration
  • Weeding (Individuals rotate in and out of this group for 5-minute advising sessions during this 30 min rotation)
Noon - 1pm: Lunch
1 - 1:30: Split into 2 groups in classroom (15 minutes then rotate)
  • Brainstorming marketing ideas for an OFTP participant who manages 5 schoolyard gardens
  • Farm Business Plan Worksheet on Market Channel Selection
1:30 - 2:15: Vision Sharing Presentations (2 participants present on their farm vision and answer questions from the group - one presented on her recent land purchase and another talked about raising chickens and working on the family apple orchard)
2:15 - 2:40: Lecture: CSA newsletters and order forms
2:40 - 3pm: Farm Stand Setup Demonstration
3 - 3:30: CSA Setup Demonstration
3:30 - 4:45 Farm Walk
4:45 - 5pm Daily Class Evaluations
Assignment: Write a CSA newsletter, online form or other marketing material
Video Lectures: Watch 2 video lectures, one about CSA and another about Farmers' Markets
Readings: Read sections from Direct Market Success & The Organic Farming Manual

Field & Classroom Activities

Hands-on Activities

Often, we split the OFTP group into 3 groups of 5 or 6 for hands-on activities, so each participant gets an opportunity to try out a new tool or skill. Some hands-on activities or farm demonstrations work well as a full group.
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Trip to Ten Hens Farm in Bath, MI

Study-A-Farm Trips

Although most class days are spent at the MSU Student Organic Farm, expect field trips to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Southwest Michigan where we visit four farms in each region. We also spend a weekend in Traverse City to visit many farms there. OFTP participants often list these field trips as a highlight of the program, giving them insight into 20 different ways to approach infrastructure, growing methods and other farm techniques.

Video Lectures

Lectures by the OFTP instructor are available online to save class time for hands-on activities, farm walks,  group discussions and guest speakers.
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Market Channel Discussion

Classroom Activities

Group discussions, vision sharing presentations and Farm Business Plan Presentations allow the cohort to learn from each other. We also split into small groups to brainstorm ideas for a participant's farm, for hands-on activities, etc. The OFTP workbook allows a space to think through your farm plan and class topics.

Farm Walks

Seeing the progress of crops on our 7 acres of outdoor production and in the 9 hoophouses can lead to lots of discussions. Here, Denae is discussing covering the rollup sides, vents and doors of our cucumber hoophouse with Proteknet to keep out pests and grow a seedless cucumber variety that doesn't need pollination.
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Preparing SOF beehives for winter with guest speaker Meghan Milbrath

Guest Speakers

We are lucky to have over a dozen guest speakers, including
  • Farmers discussing crop planning, loan options, finances, livestock, running a seed business and the nitty gritty of their farms
  • OFTP graduates sharing their Farm Business Plans and discussing their farms
  • MSU professors and staff leading hands-on activities like pruning & beekeeping
  • Extension educators discussing food safety or leading a crop disease farm walk