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Learn what you need to know to create and operate a successful organic regenerative market garden
NEW SALE PRICE! WAS $599, NOW JUST $199
Course Highlights
Start any time.
Progress through the material at your own pace.
1-year access to the course.
300 pages of downloadable detailed information covering everything you need to know to set up your market garden, loaded with pictures, illustrations, tables and charts, readable on any electronic device.
17+ hours of in-depth videos to walk you through each topic.
Get your market garden off to the best start, as you dive deep into creating and operating a market garden that fits your values and context.
In this masterclass, you will learn at your own pace as you access the wealth of material we created, especially for those who want to learn the ins and outs of small-scale market gardening.
Save yourself thousands of wasted hours and dollars by focusing on what matters and avoiding costly mistakes.
Learn what you need to know to have the best possible start to your market garden.
This comprehensive course is based over ten years of market gardening success on our farm and our vast experience teaching. In this course, you will:
- Gain access to a wealth of information that you can go back to for reference.
- Learn all the critical components of establishing and operating a market garden.
- Learn from a master gardener.
You Get Access To:
- 17+ hours of in-depth videos to walk you through each topic.
- 300 pages of downloadable detailed information covering everything you need to know to set up your market garden, loaded with pictures, illustrations, tables and charts.
- Demonstration videos from the garden.
- Useful templates to assist you in creating systems, crop planning and documentation for health and safety purposes
- Optional assignments are designed to help you build up your market gardening skills and establish your farm as you complete each lesson.
- A Learn More section for further deepening of your understanding of the topic.
From the day the course begins, you will have 1-year access to the course platform (course materials can be downloaded for future access).
100% satisfaction guaranteed! 7-day refund policy, no questions asked. Email us within 7 days, and we will fully refund your investment.
Upon the completion of the course, you can download a Certificate of Completion.
When purchasing the course, you will receive a discount code for ordering market gardening equipment from ActiveVista.
Register and kickstart your market garden off to the best start.
"This is a great course! Yotam is such an inspiration and so generous in sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for organic market gardening. The course is a cleverly concise overview of Pakaraka's accumulated experience and it has given our maara kai the best possible head start. We have been set up for success! Loved the online format too! Highly recommended! Thank you so much Yotam!"
- Gretta Carne, Founder, Hapi
Get started now!
We cover basic and advanced growing techniques,
crop planning, microgreens growing, management, marketing and even
topics like farmer care. Check out the complete syllabus below.
Course Structure
Lesson 1: Farm design
Lesson 2: Infrastructure
Lesson 3: Soil health and fertility
Lesson 4: Growing strategies
Lesson 5: Propagation and seeding
Lesson 6: The top crops
Lesson 7: Growing microgreens
Lesson 8: Crop planning
Lesson 9: Irrigation
Lesson 10: Pest and disease management
Lesson 11: Tunnel house design and season extension
Lesson 12: Marketing
Lesson 13: Management
Lesson 14: Accounting and financial planning
Lesson 15: Health and Safety
Lesson 16: Farmer care
Yotam
openly shares his 19 years of horticultural experience as a teacher,
operator and manager. The information in this course is our most
precious resource, and what
enables us to yield over 10 tons of produce from a 1/3 acre of land with
gross sales of over $120,000 of greens and vegetables a season, using
organic and regenerative no-till
methods. In this course, you will find all the information we would
have loved to know and have access to when we started our market garden.
What participants say about this course
"If you have aspirations of becoming a small market gardener then I
highly recommend this course. Yotam is a very generous and passionate
tutor who willingly shares his knowledge and experience in growing
vegetables. The course is extremely well structured taking you from the
beginning of garden design and set-up, through crop selection and
growth and ending with the marketing and financial aspects of running a
commercial venture. The course material provided is extensive and all
my questions were answered either within the material provided or
through the weekly live tutorials conducted by Yotam. This course gives
you all the information you need to know - then it's over to you to
make it happen!" Wendy Averis
“Firstly I just want to say thank you for all the information in your online course...I’m finding it super helpful in setting up a little market garden for the 1st time.” Jess
“I am really enjoying the course and am so impressed with what you are doing and what you have created, very inspiring and thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm!” Cordelia
"This course was the perfect way to connect with fellow growers during
another lock down. Yotam is such a joyful passionate person with an
incredible depth of knowledge and understanding of how to create a
small-scale market garden using permaculture and regenerative means.
The course covers everything from crop planning to pest management and
getting fresh produce to customers. Whether you are just starting out
with a vision of the garden you want to build or a long time gardener
looking to level up and get your fresh organic produce into the
community, this course will give you the clarity and confidence to start
taking action!". Michelle K.
“Really enjoying the course, so well put together and explained.” John
"I am fairly new to gardening but am really passionate about our
environment and striving to become as self sufficient as possible. I
would love to have a market garden to blend passion with work in the
future so when I saw this course advertised I couldn't pass up the
opportunity to learn. This course was absolutely amazing for information
from start to finish on the process of setting up, running, managing
and being successful in the market gardening business. I really
appreciate the information and expertise that was given; Yotam is always
so happy to answer any questions and provide really great insight. I
also learned a lot from other participants in our weekly meetings as
many other students are already on the path to market gardening. The
learning platform is so well set up with modules and easy to access and
understand information, it even has optional assignments that would help
even further when in the process of starting up. This course is well
worth it if you are seriously considering a market garden." Sarah Scott
“We have finished the course today in the morning and it has been a highlight of our day when we read it together. It is really well written and easy to understand. Every time we are working hands on we can refer to the information we got from the course.” Thiago and Renata
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts when you register for the course, and the material is paced over three weeks. You will have access to the course for a year from when it started.
How do the assignments work?
The assignments have been designed to help you set up critical systems to gradually build a successful market gardening business. They are not evaluated, not mandatory, and can be completed at your own pace.
The assignments vary in length and format. Some assignments are design exercises, and others include developing infrastructure and garden practicals.
How can I ask questions that I have?
This version of the course is for independent learners. If you want to engage with Yotam, you can join the next cohort that starts as a group.
Who is this course for?
This course is primarily for aspiring market gardeners. You can establish a market garden to suit the scale and intensity that works for you. Whether you want to sell vegetables from your backyard, lifestyle block or grow on 5 acres. In all these situations, you will benefit significantly from the information and advice laid out in the course, and you will be able to ask questions and receive expert advice.
Is this course suitable for gardeners anywhere in the world?
Yes. The vast majority of the content in this course is suitable for gardeners from both hemispheres, as the art of small-scale market gardening is universal.
The main strategies and techniques illustrated in this course are applicable in many parts of the world. In the main text, all of the figures appear in both the Metric System and the Imperial System. The figures in the appendixes and tables are currently only in the Metric System.
I am not sure I am ready to commit to establishing a market garden, is this course for me?
It is the perfect course to take if you question the suitability of this trade with your context and life goals. In this course, you will learn all about this trade, what you need to know, and what skills you need to develop to be able to market garden successfully.
How quickly can I start making a living from my market garden?
It depends a lot on your previous gardening and business background. While market gardening is highly accessible for anyone to start, it is best viewed as a long-term career move, as there are many aspects of the trade that takes years to master. Although you can establish a market garden quickly and get sales coming in within a few weeks (we had students who made over $50,000 in sales in their first season with no previous growing experience!), like many small businesses, it can take 2 to 3 years to reach financial stability.
I have started growing and selling produce, but I want to upskill, is this course for me?
Market gardening is a skilled occupation, and it takes years to fully master it. Many gardeners have got the growing part relatively sussed out, but are lacking in business management, marketing and creating systems for smooth operations. This course will help fill in any gaps in your knowledge and skillset, so you can maximise the potential of your market garden operation.
Is this course suitable for home gardeners?
While there is valuable information in this course for gardeners at every scale, this course primarily focuses on making a living from gardening, and we cover in-depth all the systems that support this goal.
Please check out our home gardening online course here - https://www.pakarakafarm.co.nz/online-courses/
What size land do I need to take part in this course?
Having access to a garden plot will help you complete the recommended assignments and practise the techniques. While having access to 1/4 acre will allow you to operate a full-scale market garden, a garden of 50 square metres (538 square feet) will allow you to follow all the assignments and practice your growing skills.
We recommend that your garden is easily accessible to you and that it gets full-sun exposure (8 hours of direct sunlight).
Can I enrol and take the course with a friend?
The course enrolment is for one person to join the program. You are welcome to invite another person in your household to join the online live sessions with you on the same device.
If a friend wants to join the course they will need to enrol separately.
How is this course compared to a horticultural course?
This
is not your average horticultural course, and the focus is not on theoretical aspects of plant biology. Instead, this course is focused on proven strategies, practical skills and task-specific information. The course is specifically catering for small growers, based on a working model which we have been refining since 2014.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
If you are unsatisfied with your investment, contact us in the first 7 days, and we will give you a full refund.
I have a question about the course, how do I contact you?
Please email us at [email protected]
Your Instructor
Yotam Kay is a master gardener and experienced fermenter who loves sharing his passion. He has been growing vegetables and teaching others how to do it since 2005. Yotam dedicated his career to learning about growing vegetables organically in a regenerative way, with the burning question, "how much food can be grown in a small piece of land efficiently and regeneratively?". Niva and Yotam established Pākaraka Permaculture Market Garden and Educational Centre for Regenerative Living" in Thames, Aotearoa New Zealand, in 2014.
Yotam studied Environmental Science, holds a Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Practice and a Diploma in Permaculture Design, and is a certified Permaculture teacher. Yotam worked on a wide range of projects before establishing Pakaraka Permaculture; leading community garden projects, establishing food gardens and sustainability programs in schools, and managing commercial organic gardens in New Zealand.
Yotam is passionate about transitioning to sustainable food production, focusing both on backyards and commercial growers. Yotam has taught thousands of people through on-farm workshops and online courses.
Yotam and his partner Niva co-authored the #1 Bestseller book The Abundant Garden (2021) and The Abundant Kitchen (2023). Niva and Yotam were awarded the peer-reviewed 'Farmer of the Year' at the 2021 Organic NZ Awards, and Yotam is a regular contributor to NZ Gardener Magazine.