New from Acres U.S.A., the leaders in Eco-Agriculture education: Eco-Ag U Online, and its pilot course, Practical Permaculture and Agroforestry for Farmers by Mark Shepard.

In an effort to make high-quality education available and easily accessible to farmers everywhere, Acres U.S.A. has worked to develop Eco-Ag U Online. The lessons from eco-ag experts will live here to serve and educate farmers and growers year-round.

To create these courses, authors with years of experience teaching in classrooms converted their lessons to online format. Acres U.S.A. editors then spent a year investing in in-depth research, learning best practices and organizing class materials.

The lessons are comprised of video, audio, photos, graphics, and text components to illustrate key points. Discussion boards are attached to each lesson to allow you to connect and learn from future students.

And more is on the way! Classes in biological farming, hemp growing, farm business and more are still under construction, so stay tuned for future announcements.

Mark Shepard’s Course – Now Available

Our first Eco-Ag U Online course is Practical Permaculture and Agroforestry for Farmers: Foundation Knowledge in Restoration Agriculture, taught by Mark Shepard.

About the Course

Real-world permaculture is an approach to designing perennial agricultural systems that mimic the complex interrelationships found in nature. Many of the concepts were practiced by native people and early civilizations before agriculture discovered and became addicted to cheap fossil fuels. 

In this detailed, instructional online workshop, you will learn from Wisconsin farmer and best-selling author Mark Shepard how to build proven permaculture systems that improve soil health, crop yield, field biodiversity and natural pest and weed suppression.

View the course.

About Mark Shepard

Wisconsin farmer Mark Shepard is a certified permaculture designer, agroforester and ecological farming consultant. He has demonstrated on his own 100-acre family farm that the principles of permaculture — long embraced by eco-minded urban gardeners — are needed in farming more now than ever. 

What You’ll Learn

Specific tools and techniques which will be discussed include:

  • Windbreaks

  • Alley cropping

  • Silvopasture

  • Polyculture and permaculture

  • Multi-story forest cropping

  • Erosion best management practices

  • Integrated specialty crops

View the course.

Eco-Ag U Online course by Mark Shepard

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