Cultivating Communities

Course Description:

The goal of Cultivating Communities is to help new and beginning gardeners successfully kick-start their programs. In the course, you will learn the essential skills and knowledge to create and sustain a community garden, from planning to planting to harvesting. The topics we will cover in this course include:

• Planning and analysis for your community garden project, 
• Selecting a site, designing the garden, and creating infrastructure,
• Raised bed and in-ground gardening, as well as irrigation and fertility,
• Vegetable, herb, and fruit gardening,
• Attracting beneficial insects and managing common garden pests,
• Safely harvesting and storing produce and sustainably managing the garden. 

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will have the knowledge and skills to be able to:

• Develop a garden team and assess the needs and skills of the community (CLO 1)
• Evaluate sites to determine suitability and design community garden spaces (CLO 2)
• Explain how raised bed gardening works and describe irrigation options (CLO 3)
• Plan year-round vegetable crops for the community garden (CLO 4)
• Identify beneficial insects and common pest species (CLO 5)
• Harvest, handle, and store vegetables safely (CLO 6)
• Implement practices for garden maintenance and management (CLO 7)
• Identify individuals and resources to support community garden development (CLO 8)

Course Topics:

• Introduction to Community Gardening
• Soil Preparation, Raised Bed Gardening & Irrigation Basics 
• Vegetable Gardening, Crop Selection & Planning 
• Integrated Pest Management for Gardens 
• Vegetable Harvesting, Handling & Storage & Community Garden Management 

Course Requirements:

To successfully complete this course, you are expected to complete the learning activities in all five content modules.  Learning activities include watching all instructional videos, completing module-level knowledge checks, and viewing the additional resources provided. Participants who successfully complete all learning modules will earn a certificate of completion. 

Technical Requirements:

To participate fully in this course, you will need:

• An active email address for the individual participating in the course.
• A desktop computer or laptop (recommended): Canvas is available on mobile devices, but some content may appear differently.
• Access to a high-speed internet connection.
• A web browser compatible with Canvas: Chrome and Firefox are recommended.
• Headphones or speakers (closed captioning also available).
• Computer skills including Internet browsing, using email, typing, downloading files, and basic troubleshooting.

Need Help?

• If you need help accessing or registering for a course, please contact Clemson Online at onlineplus@clemson.edu.
• Our support email is monitored Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM-4:30 PM (EST). If you contact us in the evening or on the weekend, we will help you during the next business day.
• Please do not contact CCIT regarding CPE courses. Please reach out to Clemson Online so that we can assist you.
• Using Bulk Purchase? Please inform those you purchase seats for. They will receive an email invitation immediately upon enrollment. For more help, read about bulk enrollments in Catalog.