Veterans Agricultural Education and Apprenticeship Program in the Southwest

Course Name: 2024 Southwest AG Summit 

Plant Breeding Short Course: Theory, Methods, and Plant Breeding Industry 

Module 1: 

Plant Breeding 101: 

Robert Masson, University of Arizona, Yuma Co. Cooperative Extension 

Module 2: 

Plant Breeding 102: 

Dr. Hikmet Budak, Agricultural Professor, Arizona Western College 

Course Name: 

2026 Southwest Ag Summit: Field Crops IPM Seminar

Module 1: 

Proactive Resistance Management: Using Temporal Refuges to Guide Insect Control Decisions

Dr. Peter Ellsworth, University of Arizona, Entomologist/IPM Specialist 

Update on soil-borne pathogens: Root Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and Cotton Root Rot (Phymatotrichopsis omnivora).

Dr. Randy Norton, University of Arizona, Director of Safford Agricultural Center and  Graham County Extension, Agronomist  

Module 2:

Herbicide Performances against Palmer Amaranth in Central Arizona Cotton Production System

Dr. Avik Mukherjee, University of Arizona Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Pinal Cooperative Extension

Field Evaluation of Pre- and Post-Emergence Herbicides in Corn Silage

Dr. Bhupinder Singh, University of Arizona, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Agronomy

Module 3:

Monitoring and Attempting to Get Ahead of Alfalfa Weevil Pyrethroid Resistance.

Kyle Harrington, University of Arizona, Associate in Extension

The Cotton Seed Bug as a new invasive and potential threat to cotton

Dr. Gabriel Zilnik, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS 

Course Number: CA# DPR-1216-26, 2.0 CEU's (Other), AZDA # 26400, 2.0 CEU's, CCA # SS 60976, 2.0 CEU's (IPM) 

CEU Credits: This course is accredited by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Arizona Department of Agriculture and Certified Crop Adviser.

Course availability will be through the end of the year and will be removed December 31st 2026.

By taking this course, students will learn:

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a regulation developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect workers and handlers from the harmful effects of pesticides and their residues.  The standard went through some major revisions in 2015 and this course will reflect those changes.  

This course will cover some of the major points of the Worker Protection Standard and what employers need to cover with their employees in order to comply.  

Once you've completed this course, you should be able to:

• Define a worker and a handler
• Understand the importance of the WPS
• Know when compliance is necessary
• Identify the basic requirements needed by both a worker and handler to reduce their pesticide exposure

For more information please contact Rachel Maccini, Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator, University of New Hampshire, Cooperative Extension.

The fee for the course is $40.  To purchase and enroll in the course, click the following button:

The audience for this Buying a Tractor course is Farmers and land owners who are interested in learning how to select the correct tractor for the intended purpose.

For more information or to enroll please contact: Mark Hall, Auburn University/ Alabama Cooperative Extension System, at hallmah@auburn.edu

Certified Biomass Procurement Specialist – Short Rotation Woody Crops is an online course for anyone interested in growing trees in a plantation.  In this course participants will learn about pine, popular and cottonwood trees and how each preforms in different environments.

For more information contact Mark Hall, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, hallmah@auburn.edu

For technical assistance please contact campushelp@extension.org

Course Name: Diamondback Moth Update: Raising The Bar on DBM Control

Module 1: 

Western Growers DBM Survey Jeana Cadby - WGA, Yuma Grower/PCA Survey Robert Masson - University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Yuma Extension, Lifecycle, trapping network, 1080 data insights, IPM detection and management Macey Keith - University of Arizona Department of Entomology.

Module 2: 

Insecticide efficacy trials, resistance monitoring, IPM strategies Dr. Wilfrid Calvin - University of Arizona Department of Entomology, Economic Damage, insecticide resistance, non-crop hosts Dr. Ian Grettenberger - UC Davis Department of Entomology, DBM Imperial County update, efficacy trial results, treatment options Dr. Arun Babu - University of California Cooperative Extension Imperial County.

Module 3:  

Business Solutions Meghan Scott - Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association, Nursery & Greenhouse IPM Strategies Sean Foy - Nursery Projects Manager Keithly-Williams, Regulatory Strategy, lifecycle, inspection techniques Jamie Legg & James Conway - Arizona Department of Agriculture.

Course Number: CA# DPR-1212-26, 1.5 CEU's (Other), AZDA # 26401, 1.5 CEU's, CCA # SS 60975, 1.5 CEU's (IPM) 

CEU Credits: This course is accredited by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Arizona Department of Agriculture and Certified Crop Adviser.

Course availability will be through the end of the year and will be removed December 31st 2024.

In this course, you will learn how vaccines work to protect individuals and communities, gain insights into the rigorous regulatory processes ensuring vaccine safety, and review evidence supporting vaccine effectiveness.

This course is part of the Vaccine Education series created by Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

• Getting Started: Vaccine Education Onboarding
• Vaccination as a Priority
• The Science of Vaccination
• The Critical Role of Extension Agents & Vaccine Education at the National Level
• Motivational Interviewing Case Studies
• Neuromarketing Strategies for Brain-Friendly Health Messaging in Extension Outreach
• Health Media Literacy

In this course, you will explore motivational interviewing techniques through practical case studies focused on vaccination discussions.

This course is part of the Vaccine Education series created by Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

• Getting Started: Vaccine Education Onboarding
• Vaccination as a Priority
• The Science of Vaccination
• The Critical Role of Extension Agents & Vaccine Education at the National Level
• Communication Strategies and Motivational Interviewing
• Neuromarketing Strategies for Brain-Friendly Health Messaging in Extension Outreach
• Health Media Literacy

In this course, you will learn how you can become vital contributors to vaccination education efforts by doing what you already do so well.

This course is part of the Vaccine Education series created by Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

• Getting Started: Vaccine Education Onboarding
• Vaccination as a Priority
• The Science of Vaccination
• Communication Strategies and Motivation Interviewing
• Motivational Interviewing Case Studies
• Neuromarketing Strategies for Brain-Friendly Health Messaging in Extension Outreach
• Health Media Literacy

In this course, you will learn about vaccine hesitancy, the significance of community immunity, and recent vaccination development.

This course is part of the Vaccine Education series created by Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

• Getting Started: Vaccine Education Onboarding
• The Science of Vaccination
• The Critical Role of Extension Agents & Vaccine Education at the National Level
• Communication Strategies and Motivation Interviewing
• Motivational Interviewing Case Studies
• Neuromarketing Strategies for Brain-Friendly Health Messaging in Extension Outreach
• Health Media Literacy

This course encompasses all of the presentations from the 2023 NER.COFE Workshop.  Each topic corresponds to each of the individual presentations and are approved for Category 1 Forester Licensing credits by both SAF and the State of Maine as described with each course.

The cost for each topic is $10.00/0.5 CEU which is to cover recording, processing, and online fees, and will continue to support the NER.COFE organization as the in-person workshop does.

Any questions may be forwarded to: 

Ray Berthiaume, NER.COFE Chair, UNH Cooperative Extension Field Specialist, Coos County Forester

UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) program is offering this course in collaboration with the following organizations: Vermont Agency of Agriculture (VAAFM), Food & Markets, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), SUNY Morrisville, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA), Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY (NOFA-NY), and Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (NE-SARE).

Offerings include up to 13 webinars (7 are required), up to 5 in-field intensives (1 is required), and admission to attend the 2021 and 2022 Industrial Hemp Conferences! You will also be asked to complete a Pre- and Post- Training Survey. All this is FREE and you can also earn Certified Crop Adviser credits! Webinar trainings will be live on Tuesdays, 12pm to 1pm. Please note that this training is offered for Agricultural and Technical Service Providers.

This online course is the National Worker Protection Standard: Web-Based Training for Trainers of Agricultural Workers and Pesticide Handlers. The course was developed by the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) through a cooperative agreement (agreement #X8-83616301) between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs and the University of California Davis Continuing and Professional Education, in collaboration with Oregon State University. Approval number EPA WPS TTT W/H 00030-0725.

This course provides the information required to train those who will train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the U.S. EPA Worker Protection Standard (WPS). It will guide you through the necessary procedures to provide agricultural workers and pesticide handlers with required information on how to avoid exposure to pesticides and pesticide residue.

Completion of this course certifies you as a qualified WPS trainer of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers in the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some states require state-specific training and this course alone would not qualify. Before enrolling, you must check with your state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency to verify possible additional requirements. Note: this course will NOT satisfy the train the trainer requirements in California for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. It will NOT satisfy the train the trainer requirements in Arizona for the Arizona Department if Agriculture. You must contact them directly to get a list of courses that will.

System Requirements

Computer: Strongly recommended: Mac OSX 10.9 or higher or a PC running Windows 7 or higher.

Browser: Strongly recommended: Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Strongly discouraged: Browsers other than those listed above. Others may work but have experienced performance issues in testing (e.g., Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, etc.) eXtension is not able to respond to troubleshooting inquiries if customers are using a non-recommended browser.

Audio: This course contains audio narration. To hear the narration, your computer will either need audio speakers built-in or attached. You can also listen to the audio via headphones.

For questions about the course content, contact PERCsupport@ucdavis.edu. 

For questions about technical support (e.g., enrolling, payments, etc.) contact cataloghelp@extension.org.

Course Completion Checklist

• Complete the modules in order (12)
  
• Complete the Knowledge Checks for each module (12)
  
• Take the Final Exam (must score 70% to pass)
  
• Complete the evaluation
  
• Download certificate
  
• Submit your certificate. You are responsible for identifying and submitting your certificate to appropriate entities.
  

The enrollment fee for this course is $75. To purchase and enroll in this course, click here: