PROfarm Course list
PROfarm courses are delivered locally by highly skilled and respected NSW DPI staff. Many of the courses are subsidised to reflect the public benefits provided by the adoption of more sustainable farming practices. On-demand courses, tailored to the specific needs of individual groups, are also available. Some courses are eligible for FarmReady reimbursement grants.
FarmReady runs until 30 June 2012. To allow for administrative processes at the end of the program, reimbursement will not be available for courses completed after 31 May 2012.
Full course list Filter list | Show FarmReady courses | Show Online courses
Alpaca care and management
This course is designed for property owners interested in breeding alpacas.
Animal health risk management - introduction
A workshop to assist participants to develop and implement a disease risk management plan for their farm or enterprise.
Beef breeder management
A course designed for property owners wishing to learn a range of practical tasks associated with the handling, breeding and caring for cattle on the farm.
Beef care and handling
A course designed for property owners wishing to learn a range of practical tasks associated with the handling, breeding and caring for cattle on the farm.
Beef-N-Omics
This 3 day course for commercial beef producers will show how to maximise beef production from the breeding herd.
Beekeeping as a business
A course designed to enable beekeepers to make the transition of keeping honey bees from a hobby to a business.
Bees - Pests and diseases of honey bees
This two-day course provides beekeepers with the skills to recognise, monitor and manage the impact of pests and disease on commercial honey bee colonies.
Beginning in Bees
A practical beekeeping course for new and established beekeepers.
Biological control of weeds
This workshop is designed for land managers and natural resource officers who are involved in the control of weeds.
Centre pivot and lateral move irrigation systems
A course designed for growers /managers who are considering purchasing or who have purchased centre pivot and lateral move irrigation systems.
Certificate IV Training and Assessment TAE40110
The Certificate IV course will enable you to train and assess accredited qualifications in the Vocational Education and Training system. You will learn how to design and develop learning programs, plan, organise and deliver training to groups and in the workplace.
Chainsaw - Fall trees manually - (basic)
How to safely and efficiently fall trees taking into account environmental requirements. (Competence in Trim and cross-cut felled trees is a prerequisite to attending this course)
Chainsaw - Trim & cross-cut felled trees
This course will show participants how to safely operate and maintain a chainsaw for removing a fallen tree using a range of cutting techniques.
Chainsaw operation and maintenance
A practical course for those seeking basic chainsaw cross-cutting (cutting timber on ground) and maintenance skills.
Develop a whole farm plan - NEW Online course
This online course focuses on describing and managing your natural resources of soil, climate, water and vegetation. It also considers the people, finances and enterprises on the farm.
Develop and review a farm business plan - NEW Online course
This course takes you step-by-step through the process of developing a farm business plan - a plan that will help you measure progress against the plans, vision and goals for your property.
Electric fencing
This one-day introductory course is ideal for the small property owner or primary producer who wants to learn how to maintain and construct their own electric fences.
Faecal egg counts for worms
A course for those interested in managing internal parasites and worms in their livestock.
Farm planning
A course for land managers and farming families interested in natural resource management for sustainable farm production.
Farm water supply and climate risk - PROfarm course
This course examines managing climate risk and the fundamental requirements of farm water supply including water auditing and planning, supply in drought and water quality.
Farmer's guide to managing climate risk
This 1 day course will help farmers and graziers and other land managers to reduce risk by allowing them to monitor and effectively incorporate weather and climate information into farm decision making.
Farming in a changing climate
A three day workshop spread over 6 weeks to assist landholders prepare and adapt their property for climate risk.
Farming native pastures
Three half-days for land managers with native pastures used for grazing.
Feeding the milk business
A course for those working in the dairy industry to improve their management of dairy feeding programs.
Fencing (conventional)
An introductory course for those seeking basic fencing knowledge and skills.
Forklift licence preparation
A course to prepare participants for assessment for a WorkCover forklift licence.
Goat care and management
This course is designed for property owners interested in breeding goats.
Healthy soils and healthy landscape
A course designed for farmers and land managers to improve soil health and soil nutrient management.
Heavy horse care and handling
An introductory heavy horse care and handling course for first-time owners or those thinking of purchasing.
Horse care and handling
An introductory horse handling course for those buying their first horse or who are first horse owners.
Horse riding for beginners
This two day course will cover the basics of horse handling and general care as well as practical experience in the saddle.
Identification and management of native grass pastures
A 1 day course to assist landholders to identify native grasses, understand why these grasses best fit into an agricultural landscape and learn how to manage these grasses for agriculture and conservation.
Introduction to organic farming
This course is designed for property owners interested in growing produce organically.
Introduction to pastures
An introductory course that addresses the basics of pasture establishment, pasture varieties for different conditions and management of pastures for livestock production.
Introduction to property planning
A course for landholders on the basic principles, practices and benefits of property management planning.
Irrigated lucerne for profit
A 2 day course that provides the knowledge and skills required to grow and market irrigated lucerne efficiently and profitably.
LANDSCAN®
This course, held over 5 half-days and 1 full day, farmers and land managers develop skills and knowledge to assess natural resources to better match land use to land capability and to make more informed decisions about managing landscapes and allocating resources to better balance production, profit and sustainability.
Livestock Assessment Welfare & Handling
This practical course is targeted at industry personnel such as RSPCA and Rural Crime officers who work with livestock that may be in a welfare-comprised situation.
Maintain farm safety - NEW Online course
This course will be delivered Online. The subject revolves around implementation and maintaining processes on a farm or related enterprise to comply with the requirements of OHS Regulations.
Manage soils - NEW Online Course
This online course covers the process of monitoring and managing soils in an agricultural or horticultural enterprise.
Manage staff - NEW Online course
This course focuses on how a farm business can develop a positive workplace culture that is characterised by vision, values and effective communication.
Management of trunk disease and young vine decline
This course will give participants an understanding of the impact of trunk disease on vineyard health and assets
Managing climate risk - NEW Online course
This online course explains how to develop a climate risk management strategy for an agricultural, horticultural or land management enterprise.
Managing land for carbon – FarmReady funded
This one day workshop is suitable for land managers wanting to learn practical skills and techniques to reduce the impacts of climatic extremes.
Marketing agricultural products and services - NEW Online course
This course is designed for those interested in exploring concepts associated with marketing of agricultural products and services.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI) workshop
A course designed for staff of Catchment Management Authorities, and organisations working in agriculture and natural resource management.
Navigating with your hand held GPS receiver
This one day course provides participants with the skills to be able to set up a GPS unit to the correct datum, be able to mark, store, download and import waypoints as well as being able to navigate back to a waypoint.
Off-road four wheel drive (4x4) training
This 2 day course will teach you how to safely operate a four wheel drive vehicle off-road and use vehicle recovery techniques.
OHS for livestock handlers
This half-day course is ideally suited to those individuals or organisations who work in close conjunction with livestock selling centres throughout the state.
Paddock plants - field day
This course will assist landholders identify plants commonly growing on their properties, their attributes and associated management options.
Planning for pest management
This course is designed for land managers and natural resource managers involved in weed or vertebrate pest control.
Poultry care for the home flock
A basic introduction to poultry and the management of the home flock
Prepare budgets and financial reports - NEW Online course
This unit takes you step-by-step through developing a farm business plan forming part of the online business plan module.
Private Native Forest Awareness Field Day
A field day to provide participants with an awareness of the opportunities and regulatory obligations of good private native forestry (PNF) management and operations on their farm.
Prograze abridged
An intensive two day course to develop skills in assessing pasture and animal production and to develop pasture and livestock management plans.
Prograze Plus
This workshop series builds on the skills and knowledge learnt in Prograze, leading to the development of a whole farm fodder budget.
Prograze®
Run over 8 half-days in the field, this course provides skills for participants to assess pasture characteristics influencing pasture and animal production and to develop pasture and livestock management plans.
Promoting vine health
This course is designed for people with a direct involvement in pruning and disease control in vineyards.
Property management planning (PMP) for natural resource management
A 6 day course designed for land managers and farm families interested in natural resource management for sustainable farm production.
Property-to-property transfer - National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)
This course suits stock agents, saleyard operators, Rural Lands Protection Board rangers, NSW DPI regulatory staff, transport operators and cattle producers.
Quad bike handling
A course for those wanting to develop their skills in the safe use of four wheeled motor bikes.
Queen bee breeding
A 3 day course for beekeepers and people interested in entering the queen bee industry.
Recognising water weeds
This workshop is designed for land managers and project officers who require a basic understanding of water quality issues, testing and management.
Rice for profit
This 3 day course provides knowledge for improved rice management and the latest information about rice farming systems.
Safe tractor operation and maintenance
A 2 day course covering safe operation of tractors and appliances and basic maintenance and care.
Service and maintain small powered machines
This one day course teaches you to carry out your own servicing and adjustments to small powered machines - Ride on Mowers, Hand Mowers, Line Trimmers, Brush Cutters, Mulchers and Chainsaws in a safe manner to OHS standards and to manufacturer’s specifications.
Shaping our futures together (SOFT)
SOFT is a 2 day leadership course that builds on the diversity of leadership capacity in rural communities by developing rural women’s self-esteem and confidence, goal setting and action planning skills.
Sheep care and husbandry
This course is designed for property owners interested in breeding sheep.
SMARTtrain® chemical application (Level 3)
A 2 day course for people who use pesticides with powered and hand-held application equipment.
SMARTtrain® chemical risk management (Level 4)
This 1˝ day course is suitable for training supervisors and managers with risk management skills to manage the transportation, storage, application and record keeping of agricultural chemicals (including biological pesticides). Participants must be accredited at Level 3 to achieve competence at Level 4.
SMARTtrain® fumigation on farms
A one-day course designed to instruct participants in how to identify and understand the life cycles of stored grain insect pests; manage stored grain more effectively, and work effectively with fumigants for stored product protection and vertebrate pest management.
SMARTtrain® Level 3 reaccreditation
This 1 day course is suitable for reaccrediting people previously accredited in a Level 3 chemical usage course. People who use pesticides in their business must be reaccredited every five years.
SMARTtrain® Level 4 reaccreditation
A 1˝ day course suitable for reaccrediting people previously accredited in a Level 4 chemical usage course.
SMARTtrain® weeds and their control
A training and assessment resource for the scoping, documenting, planning, control and monitoring of weeds.
Soil carbon mythbusters
This one day workshop covers all facets of soil carbon and its relevance to agriculture.
Soil life management
This two day practical workshop gives an introductory understanding on how soil organisms contribute to soil fertility, resilience and stablility and what landholders can do to stimulate their benefits and easily monitor on-farm.
Soils and fertilisers
A practical course for those seeking a better understanding soils and fertilisers.
Stock Assess
This 2 day course for new entrants to the beef industry will assist producers to develop skills in assessing and selling methods, assessing cattle for markets and to understand markets and differences in markets.
Stock Safe - safe responsible livestock handling
A 2 day course to improve safe handling skills of stock on farm and reduce the risk of injury of those working with livestock, and to raise awareness of animal welfare as an issue of public concern.
Tactical grazing management for semi-arid rangelands
This 2 day course is suitable for Western Division graziers, to assist in developing a sustainable and profitable grazing enterprise.
Top lamb crop (TLC) FarmReady approved
This course aims to help sheep producers take a more strategic approach to breeding ewe management in order to improve reproductive performance and lamb survival.
TopfodderTM silage
This 3 day course covers the science of silage, crop selection, making, storing and feeding high quality silage. The program includes hands-on inspection and assessment of silage on farms using both bulk and baled silage.
Vertebrate pest management
A course designed for people implementing vertebrate pest management for agricultural protection and conservation.
Wean more lambs
This 1 day course presents a complete package of best practice management technologies aimed at optimising sheep reproductive performance.
Weeds and their control
A course for those interested in developing skills in identifying and managing weeds.
Working dogs
This two day course is for owners of working dogs or those looking purchase a dog who wish to train them for either general farm use or for competition.
Working with People in Dairy: Professional development in human resource management for dairy advisors
A course for those working in the dairy industry to improve farm working relationships and to establish a support network for human resource development.