Farming Courses

Learn how farm produce is marketed by the farmer and the pathway it follows to the consumer.

By understanding the this pathway and the processes involved, a farmer, agent or manufacturer can develop marketing opportunities in a more managed and effective way. Entrepreneurial opportunities exist, even during hard times, for those with a proper understanding of agricultural marketing. Very few non-rural businesses are presented with the continuing changes and variations that confront a rural business. The impact of climate means the rural manager has to continually consider, evaluate, assess (and reassess) often on a daily or even hourly basis, the numerous changes and types of information that may affect the rural business success. A successful rural manager also needs to understand his unique markets, and how to capitalise on market forces to maximise business profit. The core activity of any farm is producing animals or crops, but if the produce is not marketed at the right time for the right price, the whole financial viability of the farm is at best unstable.

This course develops your ability to analyse and manage marketing problems in an agricultural enterprise. Topics covered include handling produce, promotions, farm marketing strategies, customer relations and much more.

Discover the psychology behind animal behaviour.

It is assumed that all animal behaviour is an adaptation designed to support survival, either directly or indirectly. However, this is not always the case. Animals can behave self-destructively - out of habit or out of boredom - just as humans can. To better understand the behaviour we must consider what motivates it. Generally animal behavior includes: movement of parts of the body, stopping expected movement, secretions from the body, and changes in body colour. Even though learned and genetic factors both play a role in all behaviour, the relative significance of each is variable. Other topics covered by this course include animal perception and behavior, the environment and its affect on behavior, social behavior, instinct and learning, and much more.

Develop a sound foundation in the Anatomy and Physiology of Animals

Develop a sound foundation knowledge of animal anatomy and physiology, as a basis to understanding care and/or management of animals in domesticated or wild situations. Learn about animal biology, both how things work within the body and the physical structures from bones to soft tissues, that make up an animal's body.The knowledge found within this course provides the foundation for anyone who deals with animals, from the farmer or zookeeper to the pet shop proprietor or pet owner, to a zookeeper or wildlife manager.

This course looks at the various physical components of animals including mammals including cells, tissues; the digestive, circulatory, urinary, nervous, respiratory, reproductive, muscular and skeletal systems; growth and development and differences between types of animals.

Learn how to understand the composition of a range of feeds

This includes pasture, fodder crops, grasses, cereals, seed, and other edible plants. Thie course also explains the role of proteins, vitamins and minerals in animal diets. It equips you with the skills required to evaluate feeding and select appropriate feeds - for digestibility and nutritional content - applicable to real life farming situations.

Student Comment:
"I think it is absolutely brilliant. I have never come across such a friendly, helpful staff and am so enjoying my course. I will definitely recommend ACS to anybody who wants to study over the net.”    T. Sadler

An important aspect of good husbandry is to be able to identify and manage a vast range of diseases and conditions that affect animals. Through completing this course you learn to assess animal health, explain a variety of conditions and identify appropriate treatments or responses to a range of more common complaints or illnesses. Specific topics include: Signs and Symptoms of Diseases, Disease Classification, Causes of Disease, Inflammation, Fever and Immunity, Tissue Repair, Wounds and Cell changes (e.g. death, cancers).

It is helpful to complete Animal Husbandry I before attempting this course.

Learn to care for the health and Well-being of Animals

While this course has relevance to any type of animal, it focuses on mammals and birds. You will learn about the scope of services offered by animal care services, including in veterinary practices. The course is appropriate to anyone interested in working with animals in different situations including: farm (production) animals, wildlife parks, or veterinary practices.

This is a sound foundation course and designed to cover most of what is found in a typical veterinary assistants course in many countries around the world.

Analyse and make decisions about the management requirements of beef cattle. 

Beef cattle have a useful and necessary role in agricultural production. Beef provides protein and some minerals and vitamins which are necessary to human health and which balance other nutrients that are obtained from plant foods. Animal protein (meat) contains amino acids which are essential to the growth and development of humans. Beef cattle convert grass and roughage (which can't be eaten by humans) into high quality human food.

Plan and implement breeding programs

Plan and implement animal breeding programs using genetic theory, practical applications to daily husbandry practice, and management of animal breeding programs. This course includes a sound introduction to genetics. Relevant to any type of animal. Personal guidance from highly qualified and experienced animal scientists and practitioners. Topics covered include: introduction to genetics; selection; pure breeding; introduction to cross breeding; cross breeding and livestock improvement. using genetic theory, practical applications to daily husbandry practice, and management of animal breeding programs. Animal breeding can be anything from a serious hobby, a part time business (breeding and selling pets), through to a very serious and possibly highly sophisticated profession. The course provides an excellent starting point whatever level you plan to operate at.

Topics covered include: introduction to genetics; selection; pure breeding; introduction to cross breeding; cross breeding and livestock improvement.

Avoid costly losses by using correct management procedures

Select and raise calves for specific purposes such as: dairy replacement heifers, veal and stud breeding. Identify and deal with health and other problems that may occur along the way. On successful completion of this course you will be able to independently analyse and make decisions about the requirements of calves. Lessons cover: calving and culling; calving management; health management; rearing systems and calf housing; weaning and post weaning care.

Student Comment:  "I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to raise calves!!" R. Beitlich

Foundation course developed in collaboration with industry experts

There are real differences among the dairy breeds in size, maturity, fat content of the milk and other important features. However, success in dairying is much more dependent on the management of the farm than on the breed chosen.  The choice of a dairy breed usually depends on one or more of the following:The breeding stock available in the area and the cost of these animals; The adaptability of the selected breed to local conditions such as climate, feed and grazing conditions; The reproductive capacity of the breed and its ability to produce good quality milk, and; Personal preference and past experience of the farmer.

This course aims to help you learn to independently analyse and make decisions about the management requirements of dairy cattle. A very solid foundation course developed in collaboration with industry and by our team of experts (agricultural and animal scientists, veterinary surgeons etc).  

Topics covered include different dairy breeds, managing anything from one cow to a large herd and dairy products, lactation, breeding of dairy cattle, management of facilities, pests and diseases of dairy cattle and more.

Understand what motivates the behaviour of your horse

The study of equine behaviour provides a foundation for more sensitive and informed care and training of horses. Lessons cover genetics, perception and behaviour, communication and social behaviour, sexual and reproductive behaviour, learning and training and behavioural problems. Anyone who works with horses will get value from completing the course. Horses are large animals in relation to their human trainers and they cannot be trained safely or effectively using brute force. Having a deeper understanding of equine behaviour and intelligence will allow you to minimise the frustration you may often feel when trying to handle your horse.

Analyse, diagnose and make decisions related to management of a farm business

The course relates to managing all resources, including; production, staff, physical resources, and natural resources. You will learn to analyse, diagnose and make decisions related to management of a farm business, deal with strategic planning, whole farm planning, and how to prepare a business plan.

The course was developed by John Mason (author of the top selling book "Farm Management", published by Kangaroo Press) together with a team including of agricultural scientists from across the globe.

Aquaculture is the culture of aquatic organisms.

Over the past 20 years aquaculture has grown into a very profitable business for large operations farming salmon and trout, and a few other selected species. The reason for this strong development has been the over exploitation of fisheries around the world resulting in lower numbers of catches in most of the classic fisheries (fishing grounds), coinciding with an increased demand for protein foods from fish and other water animals (crustaceans). According to the FAO report on global aquaculture (2006);

“Aquaculture, probably the fastest growing food-producing sector, now accounts for almost 50 percent of the world’s food fish and is perceived as having the greatest potential to meet the growing demand for aquatic food. Given the projected population growth over the next two decades, it is estimated that at least an additional 40 million tones of aquatic food will be required by 2030 to maintain the current per capita consumption”.

This timely course is primarily concerned with culture and care of fresh water fish and crayfish. Topics covered include production systems, water (e.g. source, purity, flow, temperature, dissolved oxygen), species (especially trout, barramundi and bass), stocking rates, spawning, checking stock, stripping, fertilization, hatching, growth stages, feeding, harvesting and more.

Learn to manage the daily requirements of a horse at grass

Evaluate conformation, understand the importance of dietary requirements to the horse, learn about the horses digestive system and the principles of feeding and watering your horse, use correct grooming procedures, develop appropriate management procedures and broaden existing knowledge of commercial opportunities in the horse world. Manage horses kept on pasture and learn relevant pasture management techniques to maintain productivity and prevent "horse sick" pastures. Improve your ability to handle horses using a range of different procedures.

Student Comment: "I learnt many new skills that are easily applied to day to day runnings" - A. Green

Develop your horse care knowledge further with this second horse care course

The course develops skills in the management of horses in a wide range of situations, including in particular stables. It still covers aspects of care that are still relevant to the horse at grass.  While this course follows on from Horse Care I, it is not essential to have completed Horse Care I in order to enroll in this course.

The course covers the following topics: feeding and feeds, stabling, shoeing and hoof care, bedding, tack and fitting, and exercise and conditioning.

Improve your equine health and welfare knowledge

Learn to manage health and condition of horses in different situations; to identify signs of poor condition, and address those problems appropriately, with an insight into the things that can stress a horse and increase it's susceptibility to problems. Know how to manage situations such as events, travel, and exposure to weather in order to minimise risk.

This course complements Horse Care I & II, but will also stand alone.

Design, install, maintain and operate irrigation systems

This ten lesson short course covers the design, installation, maintenance, operation and evaluation of simple irrigation systems. This course is similar to BHT210 and BHT304, but focuses on irrigation for agricultural purposes. Irrigation may enable plants to be grown in a dry climate where it would not otherwise be possible, or it may supplement the existing rainfall and improve growth rates by extending the growth period of the plant, or by ensuring there is adequate moisture during critical periods when the plant is growing most rapidly. The value of irrigation can vary greatly from year to year depending on the distribution of rainfall during the growth season.

Design and operate large scale agricultural irrigation systems

This course builds on existing skills in irrigation and is therefore designed for students who have completed Irrigation BAG213 or similar courses. This course will develop students' ability to manage the design and operation of large scale irrigation systems for agricultural applications.

Develop a foundation for a more natural and holistic approach to animal care.

Would you like to work and care for animals in a more natural and holistic way? Want to avoid chemical toxicity and adverse reactions in your pets and children? Looking for a cleaner and healthier alternative to synthetic chemicals? Natural Animal Health Care can help you to do this. Learn to care for animals naturally; to optimise their health through the way they are managed (eg. their feeding). Learn the various ways illness or poor health can be identified and treated with natural therapies such as herbal medicine, tactile therapy, and other natural remedies. The course is relevant to both livestock, wildlife, and domestic pets.

Step forward with organic farming.

In the past organic farm production was often considered as being only for radicals or hippies. Now it is seen as a viable economic move – with benefits to the farm soil, to the environment, and to the purchasers of the products. There are many definitions of organic farming. A commonly accepted definition is “farming without the addition of artificial chemicals”. All kinds of agricultural products are produced organically – vegetables, fruit, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, and fibres such as cotton and wool. Many processed foods are also produced organically. Organic farming has been adopted by some farmers for economic reasons, others for ethical or sustainability concerns. Whatever the reason for going organic, there is no doubt this method of farming is here to stay.

Through this course gain a solid understanding of the systems and management techniques of organic farming for both crops and livestock. Learn to manage both plant and animal production in a more natural and environmentally sensitive way. Develop a sound foundation for understanding how to set up an organic farm, or convert an existing farm to organic practices.

Pasture management for livestock production, environmental sustainability, and land rehabilitation

Pastures are critical to many types of farms. The need to establish and maintain pastures is governed by the end result. Historically, the focus of pasture management has been on improving livestock production. In recent times there has been an increased focus on management for environmental sustainability and land restoration. So, while the general nature of this lesson may look at issues involved in pasture management for livestock enterprises, please bear in mind that similar principles apply to selecting plant varieties for land restoration purposes.

 This comprehensive course investigates different pasture types, the structure, growth and development of grasses, grass identification, the establishment of new pastures, the importance of legumes in pastures, selection of pasture types, seed mix, management of existing pastures, native grasslands, weed control, limiting factors, managing stock on pasture, management works.

Excellent course for pet owners or anyone involved with a pet supply or service business.

This is valuable training both for people working with animals or for keen pet owners, providing a sound introduction to caring for a wide variety of different pets including dogs, cats, fish, birds, rabbits, rodents, reptiles and amphibians. It covers the general principles of pet care, as they relate to a wide range of different types of pets.

The course complements Animal Care I, but you do not need to have studied Animal Care I in order to study this. It was recently revised with significant additions to course notes.

Learn pig management: for commercial production, self sufficiency, or a hobby.

Pigs are kept almost exclusively for the production of meat. The meat can be used in two different ways - pork and bacon. As such, two distinct types of pig have evolved. The pork type was bred for the production of fresh meat and the bacon type was bred for the production of cured meat, bacon and ham. In modern pig husbandry, it is not so important to choose a pork type or a bacon type. Due to better breeding, stricter selection and, above all, scientific feeding the modern pig can produce good quality pork or bacon. The feeding system and age at slaughter will determine what the pig will produce.

A sound foundation course that helps develop a broad understanding of pig biology and production; covering such things as breeding and selection, feeding, diseases, boar management, managing the sow and litter, fattening pigs, record keeping and more.

Manage Poultry for Profit

.Of all livestock, poultry can be the least expensive and least demanding enterprises to set up. Whether a small flock for home use or a start up commercial farm, you don't need a large acreage (as with horses or cattle), and you can start seeing results (e.g. egg production) much faster than you might see with other types of animal production. 

The course covers all aspects of poultry care and management including: Terminology, Breeds, Nutrition, Diseases In Poultry, Layers, Broilers, Incubation, Brooding, Record Keeping, Economics & Marketing.

A sound foundation course for: Farm Workers, Hobby Farmers, Enthusiastic Amateurs and Permaculture Systems

Increase your productivity through the care and management of your flock

Sheep are an important agricultural livestock that are bred for meat and wool worldwide. Careful and informed management of your flock will ensure increased productivity and efficiency. Aimed at professional and amateur graziers, the course provides you with the knowledge to run your sheep effectively and productively and will help you to develop your ability to independently analyse and make decisions about the management requirements of sheep.The course offers you the chance to understand more about the care and management of sheep.

 Topics include: breeds; selection and breeding; nutrition; diseases of sheep; commercial flock management; lamb care; wool ;and the marketing of sheep and sheep products.

Improve soil quality on your farm

Soil Management is aimed at those wanting to learn about soils and how to improve the quality of soils.  Soil is the foundation for profitable farming. There are many things that can be wrong with soil (eg. poor nutrition, chemical imbalance, structural problems such as drainage, lack of microbial life). Often minor and relatively inexpensive treatments can make a huge difference to productivity, but the problems need to be identified first, and that requires a solid understanding of soil theory and management practice.

Learn about soil properties and their requirements in agriculture, and how to apply that knowledge at a management level. This is a general soil management course involving:  introduction to soils, nutrition, soil physics, chemistry, testing, problems, land degradation, soil management in farms and crops.

Sustainable agriculture is the way of the future

Today the pressure is on for farmers to work towards sustainable systems of farming which produce healthy, nutritious, affordable food and a dependable, secure food supply (without producing a negative impact on the environment). There are many concerns associated with moving a farm toward greater sustainability, these  include environmental, commercial and social considerations. Sustainable farms should protect the environment, preserve open spaces, forests and wildlife and also encourage and conserve biodiversity, plus provide the farmer and farm workers with a good living.

This course is aimed at those who want to help the world move towards the preservation of our natural resources and to maintain the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

Learn to identify and effectively control weeds.

You will learn about both chemical and non-chemical control methods (e.g. mulching, burning, slashing), the use of spray equipment, and safety procedures which should be followed as well as investigating specific weed control programs and the development of a major weed control program. This course of study is useful for students who are involved in Landcare groups, land rehabilitation, cropping, grazing, and government weed control operations.