Applied Sustainable Ranching Diploma - Williams Lake Campus

About this programme

Play an active role in developing resilient regenerative agriculture enterprises that fit together and work in sync with nature. Learn skills in producing nutrient dense foods to nourish the world, while building soil organic matter and water holding capacity, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and reducing fossil fuels and costly inputs. Take advantage of experiential learning through the host farm practicum or self-directed learning plan which is unique to this program. Students live and work on host farms or their own farms, learning practical skills in the enterprises they are most interested in pursuing. This program provides students with a strong foundation in business management, as well as the opportunity to apply regenerative agriculture and resource management concepts to a variety of landscapes and circumstances. In second year, students learn management skills specific to pasture-raised beef and sheep production, winter forage production, agri-tourism and food sovereignty. Rather than exams, student's complete assignments for each course, that are then used as building blocks for their final business and operations plan. The students present their business plans at the ‘Bull’s Den’, where they obtain feedback from a panel of subject experts from a variety of disciplines. As the culmination of their second year, this event is the highlight of the students’ learning experience. Each course is three weeks long and there is one seminar or field trip per week, usually on a Monday or Tuesday. During the winter months, these seminars are delivered through vid