The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT NOFA) has been teaching new and aspiring farmers to successfully create and grow sustainable farm businesses for over six years through intensive classroom and hands-on training with seasoned farmers. Lead instructor and farmer Sherry Simpson has been teaching and co-coordinating CT NOFA’s Whole Farm Planning Certificate Course, formerly run as the Beginning Women Farmers Program, for over five years. Simpson and her husband, Art Talmadge, run Cranberry Hill Farm, a diversified farm in Ashford, Connecticut that was named a "Heritage Farm" by the New England Heritage Breeds Conservancy in 2005 in recognition of their devotion to raising heritage breeds of livestock and heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.

CT NOFA’s Whole Farm Planning Certificate Course consists of 8 to 10, five-hour sessions held on two Saturdays a month from November 2016 through April 2017 during which participants will develop a whole farm plan, then learn critical business planning and management skills necessary to successfully implement the holistic plan and farm profitably and sustainably. Upon course completion, participants will receive a Whole Farm Planning Certificate from CT NOFA.

Online registration and complete course information is available at CTNOFA.org. Limited scholarships are available and inquiries should be directed to Jeff Cordulack at 203-308-2584.