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Introduction to Small Ruminant Production Online Course Madeline Colville, OMAFRA
Introduction to Small Ruminant Production Course: New Format Now Launched
Madeline Colville, Small Ruminant Assistant, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
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Are you interested in getting started in small ruminant production? Or do you know someone who is? In an effort to facilitate education and knowledge transfer, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in partnership with Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF) is offering an online Introduction to Small Ruminant Production Course.
Screen shot of the course, course instructor Delma Kennedy, OMAFRA pictured here
The course covers both sheep (meat, fibre and dairy) and goat (meat, fibre and dairy) species, providing an overview of each sector and introductory concepts. The new online course features 16 different modules, with videos, handouts, quizzes, surveys and online farm tour suggestions. A course certificate is available once completing the course.
The new course can be completed from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace. It takes on average seven to eight hours to complete and can be viewed in multiple sittings.
The course was launched on August 20, 2020 and is now available to interested participants. The course is $30 per participant and pre-registration is required. Please note that no last-minute cancellations can be made once registered.
To sign up for the course visit OSF’s professional development portal located at www.learning-ontariosheep. thinkific.com/ and select the Introduction to Small Ruminant course where you will be asked to create a new account for your student profile. On the registration page you will be able to make your payment for the course. Once this is done you will be registered and able to start the course.
Should you have any questions or problems with registration do not hesitate to contact OSF at admin@ontariosheep.org or call at 519 836 0043.
Online module topics include: 1. Introduction 2. State of the industry – sheep
Screen shot of the course, course instructor Jillian Craig, OMAFRA pictured here
An example of a video excerpt from the health module. In this module, a handout of the slides is also available along with a wrap up quiz after the video is viewed
3. State of the industry – goats 4. Organizations and Legislation 5. Genetics and Selection 6. Health 7. Handling 8. Infrastructure 9. Reproduction and Production Systems 10. Pasture Management 11. Nutrition 12. Lambing/Kidding 13. Marketing and Processing 14. Economics and Record Keeping 15. Online Farm Tours 16. Wrap Up
