Introduction to the course, the lead developers, how to navigate the course on NEO, and downloading the workbook you will use throughout the course.

The kind(s) of livestock you choose to raise is one of the most important decisions you will make for your farm. It is the farmer’s job to carefully evaluate his or her land, resource base, and goals in order to make smart selections. This can be an overwhelming prospect, but in this module we will guide you through the decision-making process and give you the tools you need to select the right kind(s) of livestock for your operation.

As livestock farmers, we are farming more than just animals. We are also farming healthy soils, which produce healthy forages. Without this foundational understanding, we cannot successfully raise quality livestock. When we better understand soil health, we can see opportunities to improve it at every turn. It is the work of a lifetime to raise the quality of a farm’s soils and a joy to see it happen.

If we are what we eat, the same can be said for our livestock. And if our livestock’s final destination is the dinner plate, then we are also what our livestock eats! In order to raise quality, nutritious animal products, we must have a working understanding of our animals’ nutritional needs and adapt our farming strategies to address those needs at all points throughout the year.

Livestock are not governed by human rules; their strategies for navigating the world are totally different, yet well-adapted. Understanding their behavior is key to a successful livestock operation. Having a working understanding of livestock health is equally important to being responsible stewards of the animals in our care.

If the farmer and their animals are the heart of the farm, the infrastructure and facilities of the farm are its bones. They enable the daily work of the place and the continuity of the farming cycle, season after season and year after year. Though not the most glamorous part of the farm, each structure and pipeline and stretch of fence should be well considered, and that is what we will learn to do in this module.

The decision to breed livestock will bring many additional considerations into your farming equation. In order to safeguard the breeding and birthing process, as livestock producers we need to build a toolkit of understanding and skills relevant to the species we are raising. In this module, we will explore the reproductive cycles of different species and learn how to responsibly plan for breeding and birth.

Up to this point, we have focused on building robust and sustainable systems; in this module we will shift gears to talk about what happens when it is time for some animals to leave your farm as part of the food supply chain. For those who plan to sell animal products, knowledge of processing systems as well as how to market those products is critical. In this module we will dig into animal processing, various modes of selling farm products, pricing your products fairly, and creating a marketing toolkit for your livestock enterprises.

If we want to find ourselves still farming and enjoying this lifestyle a decade or two down the road, it is critical that we put in place efficient, effective administrative systems from the start. We want to be committed to the care of our land and communities through the medium of agriculture. The numbers, planning, record-keeping, and decision-making of your administrative systems will help you achieve that goal.

In this module, you can view some videos of our farm, at various times of year, to get a sense of what goes on during different seasons, and what to expect on yours.

In this section, you will find a list of resources that are specific to commonly kept livestock species. You can refer back to the resources for the species you keep, or are interested in keeping, or peruse them all if you're just curious.