Solid Ground offers a range of training and learning opportunities for new and beginning farmers, including Agroecology and Agricultural Mechanics trainings. These programs are designed to build practical skills, strengthen farm decision‑making, and support the long‑term viability and sustainability of farm businesses in Connecticut. Skill Share Trainings are currently in development.
Our trainings combine research‑based instruction with applied, hands‑on learning, helping farmers develop skills they can use directly on their operations. Information on upcoming workshops and courses is listed below, with additional opportunities added regularly. If you have questions, please contact us at solidground@uconn.edu.
To stay informed about upcoming trainings and learning opportunities, we encourage you to join the Solid Ground email list, where we share updates on programs and events offered throughout Connecticut.
We welcome input from the farming community. If you have suggestions for training topics you would like to see offered, please contact us at solidground@uconn.edu. Your feedback helps ensure Solid Ground programming remains responsive to farmer needs across the state.
Please note: These trainings are intended for production farmers in Connecticut, if you have a a hobby farm or are gardening, please visit the UConn Home and Garden Office website.
Please contact us two weeks in advance with special needs (dietary, translation, accessibility, etc.) We’ll do our best to accommodate you.
If the cost for a training and/or travel is prohibitive, please contact us and we will work with you to make this affordable.
Please do not attend our events if you are not feeling well – you will receive a refund.
Workshops Offered
Ag Mechanics
The Ag Mechanics workshops provide hands-on training in essential farm skills, including equipment operation, maintenance, and safety, helping participants build practical knowledge for modern agricultural work. Designed for both beginners and experienced producers, these courses emphasize real-world applications to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and support long-term success in Connecticut agriculture.
Skill Share
The Skill Shares offer informal, peer-led learning opportunities where farmers and agricultural professionals exchange practical knowledge, techniques, and experiences. These sessions foster community connection while highlighting innovative approaches and real-world solutions that can be immediately applied on the farm.
Explore Farming in Connecticut
Explore Farming in Connecticut is a 90-minute evening webinar offered quarterly, designed to introduce aspiring and new farmers to key topics in agriculture. Each standalone session provides expert-led insights into getting started, helping participants build confidence and explore opportunities in Connecticut’s farming sector.
Classes Offered
Climate Smart Course
With a changing climate, it becomes more important for our farmers to be nimble and adapt to a variety of weather and temperature events. This is especially relevant for new and beginning farmers as they build their farms and create businesses that will ideally last throughout these new challenges.
Business of Farming
Participants will learn how to create and develop a business plan using the AgPlan web application. The course will also provide information on marketing, branding, financial management, filing taxes, legal business formation, crop and liability insurance, and more.
Land Ownership Readiness Course
In partnership with CT Department of Agriculture, we are excited to work for underserved producers, including socially disadvantaged producers, by increasing their access to land, capital, and markets.
What Farmers are Saying
Tom is an incredible instructor. He was kind, patient, thorough, and very knowledgeable. He was very trusting of the participants, empowering us to apply the new knowledge we had acquired. I believe we all walked away feeling like we had gained a very valuable new skill. Tom is an asset to UConn Extension! – Ag-Mechanics class participant
The tour was incredible; I really appreciated the tour style taking us through each stage of his farming operation and being open enough to share his methods in great detail. I also especially appreciated the explanation of the equipment and tools he uses, for what purpose and how often he used/uses them both in the beginning of the no-till transition and now, years later. – Agro-Ecology class participant