Build technical skills to implement effective IPM PRACTICES.
Our Intro to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) course gives participants a working foundation in balancing biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical strategies to manage pests while protecting the land, the crop, and the people who work it.
Participants will learn to identify common pests, beneficial insects, and the plant diseases and weeds they’re likely to encounter in California fields, along with the life cycles and monitoring techniques that help catch problems early. The course also covers how soil health and farm biodiversity support natural pest control, and how tools like degree-day tracking help growers anticipate pest activity before it becomes a problem.
A significant part of the course is dedicated to pesticide safety and regulation: how to read labels and safety data sheets, select and maintain PPE, calibrate spray equipment, and respond to spills or exposure. Participants will get hands-on practice scouting fields, calibrating equipment, and identifying samples in the field.
This course also prepares participants to take the California Private Applicator Certificate (PAC) exam through the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, and to train fieldworkers and handlers according to state and federal safety standards.
Course details
Dates: August 31 – October 21
Format: Hybrid (see below)
Live Online Lectures:
Mondays & Wednesdays, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
In-Person Field Days:
Monday August 31, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday October 19, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
On-Farm Labs:
16 hours of hands-on lab assignments
Price: $575
Dr. Candice Stafford-Banks
Dr. Candice Stafford-Banks has been a Professor of Agriculture at Woodland Community College since 2017. She has a Bachelors and Master in Entomology from UC Riverside and a PhD in Plant Pathology from UC Davis where her research focused on virus-vector-plant interactions and creative pest management solutions. She loves bugs and plants and is excited to teach everyone about how to identify and manage pests in all settings from a tiny home garden to a farm.
veteran scholarships
We are offering full scholarships for US military veterans thanks to a grant from the Farmer Veteran Coalition, CA Chapter. To receive a scholarship, please complete the veteran application here.
READY TO LEARN?
Questions? Please reach out to info@landbasedlearning.org for more information.