Farmer Trainings
Welcome to Solid Ground Farmer Trainings, a program of UConn CAHNR Extension.
Find out more information about learning opportunities below. 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. If you have suggestions as to what kind of trainings you would like to see, please email us at solidground@uconn.edu Join our email list, so you can be updated on trainings we are presenting in the state.
2026 Summer Skill Share Series
Whether you're just starting out in farming or you have a few years experience and are looking to sharpen your skills, this series was built for you! Skill Shares are group-based learning opportunities for new and beginning farmers to dive deep into a particular production topic. They’re collaborative, engaging, and fun!
Here's a glimpse at what you can expect when you attend a Skill Share:
Experiential learning
Each Skill Share goes beyond the basics — you'll explore a specific production topic in detail, with time to ask questions and get real answers from knowledgeable professionals and guest speakers.
See a real farm in action
The in-person meet ups happen on farms. Lace up your boots, put on your sunscreen and bug spray, grab your hat and water bottle, and come join us! Get a firsthand look at what fellow farmers are doing while you skill up. Often the most memorable learning happens in the field.
Build your network
Farming can be isolating, especially when you are starting out. These gatherings are a genuine chance to meet people who get it — swap ideas, ask questions, and build relationships that can support you as you grow.
Support from UConn Extension
These collaborative, group-based sessions enable you to learn alongside others who are navigating the same challenges. Specialists from UConn Extension work alongside guest speakers to share knowledge and meet you where you are on your farming journey.
We'll share a meal
Depending on the focus of the Skill Share, the length of the event ranges from approximately 2.5 hours to 4 hours - enough to build up an appetite! Stick around afterwards to chat more informally with peer farmers and service providers present over lunch or dinner (depending on the start time).
They're actually fun!
Skill Shares are designed to be engaging and collaborative, not lecture-style. Come ready for an active event that will inspire you to get back to your own farm and apply your new skills.
June: Chicken Tractor Design & Discussion Skill Share
There is a lot to consider when building a chicken tractor and selecting a design to meet your production goals. It can be challenging to balance cost, size, and materials with the everyday practicality of movement and pasture management, access, and predator protection. Join us at Allard Family Farm for a tour of their chicken pasture, including an in depth discussion of their modified chicken tractors. MacKenzie White, UConn Extension's Diversified Livestock Specialist, will also be there to talk through advantages and disadvantages of designs and additional techniques.
Bring your designs and questions so you can be ready to apply what you learn on your own farm afterwards!
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT REQUIRES A 15 MINUTE WALK FROM THE CAR TO THE LEARNING SITE.
Date: Wednesday, June 24th
Time: 4PM to 6:30PM
Location: Allard Family Farm - Bolton, CT
July: Flower Integrated Pest Management Strategies Skill Share
Successful cut flower operations are heavily dependent upon the aesthetic quality of the flower – a blemish or scar could make a flower unsellable. Early scouting to monitor pests and diseases and incorporating proactive prevention measures into flower production operations can help minimize risk and increase your yield of beautiful blooms!
Join us for a scouting walk and bring your questions. Participants will help guide the conversation. Topics likely to include (but not limited to) disease symptoms vs. nutrient deficiencies, building soil health for healthy plants and disease mitigation, encouraging beneficial insects, sanitizing and handling of harvesting equipment, low tunnels and other methods of pest protection, record keeping, and more. Dinner will be included.
Date: Wednesday, July 8th
Time: 4PM to 6:30PM
Location: Off Center Farm - Woodbridge, CT
July: Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Strategies Skill Share
Integrated Pest Management combines multiple, science-based approaches to controlling insects, weeds, plant diseases, and wildlife to keep farms productive while reducing the risks to people, pollinators, and natural resources. This Skill Share will focus on building good scouting habits and identification skills to correctly identify the cause of a problem. Our instructors will guide participants on a scouting walk, illustrating what to look for, frequency of inspections, tools and traps, describing good record keeping, and thresholds for taking action.
Some questions we will answer together include:
- How to identify what’s causing a problem when pest damage, disease, nutrient deficiency, and environmental stress symptoms can look alike?
- How does soil health relate to pest and disease pressure? How does compaction, poor drainage, and low organic matter make disease problems worse?
- How do you manage effective crop rotation on small acreage?
- How do you properly handle and dispose of diseased plant material?
- What beneficial insects should I expect to find, what do they eat, and how do I create habitats that attract and keep them?
Dinner will be included.
Date: Wednesday, July 22nd
Time: 4PM to 6:30PM
Location: Handel Family Farm - East Hartford
September: Livestock Fencing Installation Skill Share
Are you installing new livestock fencing or improving upon existing set ups and looking for insight on what you need? Join us for an in-person demonstration of installing high-tensile cattle fencing at Peaceful Valley Farm!
Network with other growers like you as we learn on the job. Heather Gooden from Gallagher Fencing will provide instruction on how to get started, matching supplies to your layout and proper post spacing, factoring in terrain changes, post depths, tensioning, and more. Bring your questions and add to the discussion! Lunch will be included.
Date: Saturday, September 19th
Time: 9AM to 1PM
Location: Peaceful Valley Farm - Dayville, CT
All Skill Shares are $15 to attend and will include a meal. Please contact us if cost is prohibitive and we will work with you to make this affordable.
Please contact us in advance with special needs (dietary, translation, accessibility, etc.) We'll do our best to accommodate you.
Travel Stipends will be made available to participants at any event where travel is required to attend.
Please do not attend if you are not feeling well - you will receive a refund.