Discover the world of raising crops!
Working with crops, there is a lot to learn, and the breadth and scope of farming can be especially complex. From selecting seed to working with cover crops, from double cropping to nurturing almond orchards, the challenges raising crops, maintaining soil health, and managing equipment and more, all rest on the shoulders of farmers. Understanding how it all comes together is central to building customer and colleague trust. Grounded in Ag has the courses to take you from a novice in agriculture to a place of deep understanding and critical thinking in the details of farming and crop production.
Learning from the Experts
One of the pieces that drives the impact of Grounded in Ag is that all of the courses and lessons include perspectives from trusted experts in the industry who live this day in and day out.
Each course provides decades of experience from people who live ag, and we ground it with team members who have recently joined agriculture throughout the development and publishing process to ensure the material is understandable and accessible. The full list of experts helping with Ag 101, Sustainability, Focus on Crops, and our commodity courses is on our website.
A Systems Approach to Building Knowledge
Our courses are designed to meet people where they are and begin developing the depth of knowledge, vocabulary, and understanding of agriculture that can be elusive to build without focused, structured efforts. For people seeking to understand crops, we offer our our foundational courses, followed by deep dives into each of the primary commodity crops in the United States: corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat, and specialty crops.
Ag 101 Builds the Foundation
The Ag 101 course provides multiple sources across the US to provide you with the basic building blocks you need to understand agriculture, but more than that, we give you the context you need to put that information to work right away. The video modules in this course are designed to help you understand:
- Farmers, the way they set up their businesses, the changes they see happening, and their communities
- The industry and business as it works in the real world, with topics including cash flow, mental health, equipment, and farming organizations
(more than 4 hours running time)
Sustainability Creates the Connections
The Sustainability course will help you understand the intersection of agriculture and sustainability and what that means for people and planet.
- Sustainability from multiple perspectives discussing varying approaches to soil, water, carbon & climate, pollinators & wildlife, and people.
- Farm tours to show you how farmers apply sustainability concepts to their daily work and business decisions
(more than 2 hours running time)
Depth in Crops Comes Into Focus
Once you have the foundational knowledge of agriculture, we begin layering in depth. This course covers growing crops for food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Lessons come from farmers and experts who have spent years, many even decades in their fields or fields of study. What crosses all crop production?
- Farmers explain considerations about what crops to plant and how varieties/hybrids are chosen to some of the seasonal activities undertaken.
- Experts in weed science, entomology, and plant pathology also provide in-depth lessons on these critical challenges farmers face in the field and how the ways those challenges can be addressed.
(more than 2 hours running time)
Dive Deep Into Each Commodity Crop
Our commodity courses give you the depth of knowledge you need to work confidently within each of the industries. Each course builds on all the materials from Ag 101, Sustainability, and Focus on Crops, bringing depth of knowledge on the production details for the corn, soybean, cotton, wheat, and specialty crops industries. Every lesson has 3-4 interviews with trusted and vetted industry experts, but we ground it with the following basic information:
- Facts and Trivia
- Production for a Year – A visual look at the various points of the season
- Organizations, Media, and Events to Know
In addition to these shared elements, we've collaborated with trusted experts help you see deep inside the commodities and learn beyond what's visible on the surface. Every course includes lessons and interviews with multiple farmers/specialists, and every lesson is supplemented with carefully considered downloadables and vetted resources to reinforce and extend the learning so you can go as deep as you need on each subject. Take a look below to see what you can expect to learn in each course:
Getting Grounded in Cotton Production
What are some of the things that differentiate growing regions? Farmers discuss:
- Growing Cotton on the High Plains of Texas
- Delta Cotton Production - Unique Challenges
- California Pima Cotton & Growing Premium Cotton for Brands
A cotton specialist takes into Cotton Production In-Depth - Crop physiology, challenges, tech, and more.
(approx 2.5 hours running time)
From Seed to Bread: Understanding Wheat Production
Different classes of wheat for different uses and in different areas are served up:
- Double-Cropping with soft white winter wheat in the Midwest
- Growing Specialty Wheat for a Specific Market in the PNW
- Spring Wheat in Montana
An extension specialist provides Wheat Production In-Depth –Physiology & Crop Challenges. And milling employees show us how wheat is tested for use before going to bakers, pasta. makers, etc.
(approx 3 hours running time)
Understanding Specialty Crops Production
Produce, nuts and more are all discussed in this course.
- Honey Bees and Pollination - An essential topic for specialty crops
- The unique needs of specialty production
- The business and marketing of specialty crops
- Why some crops are considered specialty over others
- In-Depth Presentation on Specialty Crops, the farms growing them & businesses involved
(more than 2.5 hours running time)
Corn Production: Food, Feed, Fuel
Currently in production and expected to release soon in 2025!
You can expect to learn why corn and soybeans are so often spoken of together, the various challenges farmers face from weather to insect pressure, and so much more.
Soybeans, from Feed to Fuel, and More!
Currently in production and expected to release soon in 2025!
Look forward to learning how soybeans work in double-cropping and multi-cropping systems, why soybeans and corn are so often spoken of together, the challenges of the soybean markets, and so much more.
Need More? Learn Both Crops and Livestock
Grounded in Ag has programming that dives deep into livestock sectors and commodity crops. Each livestock and crops course takes a similar approach, building the basics before moving into greater depth and insight, and the full package (more than 30 hours) comes at a reasonable rate. Our full slate of courses includes:
Get the Scoop on Lessons in Our Crops Program
Want more information? We have a PDF that gives you the detail on lessons built into the Ag 101, Sustainability, Focus on Crops and the different crops courses. You can also find information on our blog and social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook).
New to ag or taking on a new role? This program is for you!
Farming is a part of most days for many people around the world but so many of us haven't had a chance to get to know what it takes to grow these crops. These courses will help you develop and build out a lot of the knowledge that will help you understand crop growth, the challenges faced, the farmers who grow it and more.
