Alternative farming — which combines sustainable and organic farming systems — is becoming increasingly popular worldwide as consumers increasingly seek organic alternatives to “standard” supermarket goods. As a result, those who work in the farming industry need to continuously adapt to meet demand.

Our Certificate of Alternative Farming is ideal for organic farmers, farm consultants, farm managers, farm consultants, those working in farm supply or farm service businesses and hobby farmers. This course will give you insights into “whole farm” planning and how to make a farm more  sustainable — both environmentally and economically.

In this sustainable farming course, you will explore the economic rules that apply to farm enterprise and explore land management programs, such as permaculture, organic farming and biodynamics. You will learn about sustainable crop management techniques, how to avoid serious water and soil degradation, and how to evaluate the potential and financial viability of animal enterprises.

You will study the scope, history and types of organic farming, the viable economic gains in pursuing organic farming, as well the benefits to the environment and health of the consumer. You will gain an understanding of how to handle organic management issues from environmental concerns and certification to promotion and marketing.

You will also discover integrated farm management systems for organic farming, including waste management systems, rotation design and how to manage weeds, pests, pasture, soil, livestock and crops.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a sustainable farming course include:

• Learning about sustainable agriculture including land management programs, sustainable ways of farming and natural and organic farming.
• Exploring permaculture, “no dig” techniques and biodynamics.
• Gaining an understanding of soils including growing media, soil problems, soil structural decline, erosion, salinity, acidification and phytotoxicity
• Studying cultivation techniques, conservation tillage, plant nutrition, soil life, cover crops and how to add organic matter to soils
• Examining the types of water storage, water problems, water quality and water saving measures
• Understanding reed beds, recycling, irrigation systems, swales, key lines and livestock water requirements
• Studying personal welfare, risks, quality systems, plan drawings of farms and marketing
• Examining crop management, hay, hydroponics, new crops and agro-forestry
• Understanding nuts and herbs
• Attaining knowledge of animal enterprises including poultry, deer, ostriches, emus, alpacas and llama
• Gaining insights into goats, horses, wool and meat production and aquaculture
• Learning about organic farming including its scope, nature and benefits, how to promote and prolong plant growth
• Exploring intercropping, manurial systems, the soil microbiome and the cultural, biological and physical control of pests, weeds and diseases
• Gaining an understanding of decomposition, nutrient availability and nutrient cycling and recycling
• Studying organic farming systems, the variables and how to choose a production system
• Examining “no dig” techniques, vegetable-sod inter planting, broad-acre and row cropping
• Gaining an understanding of composting and mulching on organic farms, green manuring and cover crops
• Studying sheet composting, organic fertilisers, animal manures, blood and bone meal, rock dusts, seaweed and how to boost the soil microbiome
• Examining organic weed management, environmental and noxious weeds and how to control weeds without chemicals
• Understanding soil condition, cultivation, grazing, mulching and biological weed control
• Studying organic beef and milk production including food processing terms, lot feeding, feedlot records and variable costs
• Examining organic pasture management including choosing and managing pasture sites, seed coating, grasses, legumes, choosing the correct seed mix, preparing land for pasture, sowing and germination and testing the soil microbiome
• Understanding a cotton strip assay, weed control, grassland management rests and the major types of pasture grasses
• Attaining knowledge of pasture management principles, stocking and carrying capacity, how to apply grassland management principles, continuous light stocking, and split, one-herd, four-paddock and intensive systems
• Gaining insights into broad-acre organic crops including wheat, sesame seed, mung beans, plant fibre crops, hay and sorghum (grain and sweet varieties)
• Learning about quality control, storage and handling and pits and bunkers

And more!

The Australian Organic industry

The Australian Organic industry is a vibrant, dynamic industry valued at more than two billion dollars in the domestic and export markets as of 2020. According to market research company, IBISWorld, the industry is expected to be worth more than $3.9 billion over the next five years to 2025/26.

There are over 3200 certified operators in Australia including farmers, wholesalers, manufacturers,

and retailers. Farmers account for 41 per cent of certified operations, running mixed farms producing fruit, vegetables, cattle, sheep, dairy, grain and fodder.

An organisation you will no doubt become familiar with if you undertake a sustainable farming course is Australian Organic Limited (AOL). It is the peak industry body representing Australian Organic certification bodies and operators. Not-for-profit and member-owned, it advocates on behalf of its members, and more broadly, the certified organic industry and works with government to drive awareness through industry and consumer initiatives.

Compared with overseas, Australia’s organic industry expansion has recently been stronger than New Zealand’s which grew by 6.4 per cent annualised over the past three years (Organics Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021), but below the UK at 12.6 per cent (Soil Association, 2021) and the US at 12.4 per cent (Organic Trade Association, 2021), both in the past year.

Across each country, growth over the past decade has been being driven by health and environmental factors such as climate change, and in-line with surging consumer interest about where their food comes from and how it could benefit them and potentially the environment. The trend has also spiked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Australian Organic Market Report 2021 shows Australians are buying more organic products than ever. Some interesting stats for those interested in a sustainable farming course include:

• 80 per cent of shoppers purchased an organic product in the past 12 months, equating to
• approximately 9 million households.
• Household penetration of organic products grew by 3.6 per cent to 92 per cent. The increase is the
• equivalent of over 565,000 new households and 9 million households overall.
• 37 per cent of organic shoppers increased their household food allocation to organics.
• More than half of organic shoppers check for certification marks on their organic
• 39 per cent of shoppers say they would avoid purchasing an organic product if it did not
• display a certification mark.
• 62 per cent of shoppers recognised the Australian Certified Organic Bud trademark logo.

According to AOL, “Australia is the world leader in hectares of organic farming land. Forecast high growth underlines the organic industry’s potential in Australia, which provides Australia with a distinct advantage compared with the rest of the world. As consumers across the globe look to alternative sources for food, Australia’s organics industry has the infrastructure in place to deliver the growth predicted.”

How organic farming practices benefit a circular economy

In Australia, the increasing consequences and effects of climate change have meant that we continue to experience extreme drought and heat and devastating bushfire seasons that have extensively destroyed property, businesses, wildlife and vegetation.

This has prompted an urgent need for cleaner, greener and more sustainable environmental practices going forward. It also calls for drastic changes in the way we deal with waste and where it needs to be diverted from landfill and reused. Adopting a closed-loop “Circular Economy” model can help achieve this.

A “Circular Economy” approach to waste diversion can be best demonstrated by organic farming practices. This is because they support natural systems of regeneration, and waste is minimised as it revolves through the system to complete the Circular Economy cycle.

The traditional Linear food systems have for many years supported economic growth and a fast-growing population, but also left a detrimental effect on biodiversity, soil quality, water, climate and ecosystems. As a result, a fundamental transformation to adopt circular economy systems globally is needed now more than ever.

As you’ll discover in a sustainable farming course, the practice of organic farming has had a number of benefits on the environment, including:

• Reducing the environment’s exposure to chemicals and pesticides that can cause long term contamination in the water and soil supply.
• Promoting a sound state of health and resilience of farm land including by using compost as organic fertiliser which promotes soil organic matter and fertility which boosts biological activity within the soil.
• Combatting soil degradation and erosion by building healthy soil and helping to combat serious land and soil issues like soil erosion.
• Encouraging water health as organic farming can help keep water supplies clean by stopping polluted run-off from toxic pesticides and fertilisers.
• Promoting biodiversity which can influence how resilient farm land is to issues like disease, pests and harsh weather.

Enhance your ability to create and market a successful organic farming enterprise — including undertaking strategic agricultural planning processes — to meet your desired sustainability goals with a sustainable farming course such as our Certificate of Alternative Farming.