Green Cert Yes / No

cacs

I got accepted on to the green Cert online course. Which i am delighted about. I am nearly forty so this is my last shot. The only issue is it costs a fair bit o money and i was wondering is it worth. Would you recommend it. What are the benefits of doing it? Thanks for reading

Muckit

I am in the same boat Cathal. Like yourself l am a young keen part time farmer that would like to progress if shown some encouragement.

The majority of young farmers in the country are part time. They hold down full time Jobs and farm evenings and weekends. Now if we want to do the green cert, we're being asked to use our holidays and/or take unpaid leave from our main job, the main breadwinner and bill payer.

If that's not enough, 'online' applicants are being asked to pay more (over €1000 more if I recall) for the privilege of covering the exact same material as our parttime course goers.

You are right Cathal to carefully consider the benefits of doing this course.

€2500 is a lot of money. For a course that many former course goers have admitted to being a mere paper exercise and of little benefit from a practical skills point of view. A lot of data being collected and collated for teagasc also with the coursework that has to be submitted. And we must pay for the privilege.

Am I happy to take no holidays for the guts of 2 years, take away from family time and fork out €2500 and then go down on bended knee with cap in hand to thank Teagasc for being good enough to give me a place at the 11th hour .........

Bellview

Muckit wrote: »

I am in the same boat Cathal. Like yourself l am a young keen part time farmer that would like to progress if shown some encouragement.

The majority of young farmers in the country are part time. They hold down full time Jobs and farm evenings and weekends. Now if we want to do the green cert, we're being asked to use our holidays and/or take unpaid leave from our main job, the main breadwinner and bill payer.

If that's not enough, 'online' applicants are being asked to pay more (over €1000 more if I recall) for the privilege of covering the exact same material as our parttime course goers.

You are right Cathal to carefully consider the benefits of doing this course.

€2500 is a lot of money. For a course that many former course goers have admitted to being a mere paper exercise and of little benefit from a practical skills point of view. A lot of data being collected and collated for teagasc also with the coursework that has to be submitted. And we must pay for the privilege.

Am I happy to take no holidays for the guts of 2 years, take away from family time and fork out €2500 and then go down on bended knee with cap in hand to thank Teagasc for being good enough to give me a place at the 11th hour .........

How many days must you take off, I did the original course about 10 years ago and from memory, I used up 3 days holidays which was not too bad.

At the time though the course was a joke as class was made up of builders and wannabee builders on a tax treatment benefit.

The content was also very poor... which made the three days a joke.. saying that though we had a few good nights in Clon town as the day of course was always a Friday!

cacs

Thats great

Muckit

If I could do the course over 3 days l would. And for around €1500.

tellmeabit

hi,
where is have the courses been offered, I expresses instrest back in july and haven't heard since, haven't seen anything on the teagasc site either?
last update was july 22?

cacs

The course is based in Mayo. My advice is get on the phone and follow up follow up follow up

Sugarbowl

Anybody know a link to info on the online green cert course? I thought that was ceased.

cacs

I contacted my local Teagasc Office

tellmeabit

cant post the link here but put www infront of .teagasc.ie/training/courses/dist_ed_green_cert.asp

Sugarbowl

tellmeabit wrote: »

cant post the link here but put www infront of .teagasc.ie/training/courses/dist_ed_green_cert.asp

Thanks tellmeabit, but is this not attending the college rather than doing the course work online?

tellmeabit

no Sugar bowl, that's the online version, its not very online from what I gather?!?!!
not like it used to be

Hasmunch

Bellview wrote: »

How many days must you take off!

I am half way through it at the moment. You need about 24 days over the space of 18 months. And also do exams on a couple of Saturdays.

tellmeabit

@ hasmuch, where are you doin it?

Feckthis

It's worth your while if transferring land and or wishing to apply for grants.

If you have land in your name and don't agree with the grants system it's useless!!

anfieldrd

Got word from my local teagasc today, have to send in more personal details and the farm details, says the course will start before Christmas depending on your location.

Miname

I've signed up for it. It's 26 days 2500 euro and the one in ballyhaise is starting before Christmas. The closing date was a couple of weeks ago for the one I'm doing.

Hasmunch

tellmeabit wrote: »

@ hasmuch, where are you doin it?

Kildalton. The course started in January this year and will finish in June 2016.

Maplespuds

Do people think there is more urgency to getting this than just if you need to sort land/grants within the next year or two?

I'm working the opposite side of the country to the home farm, which you've to spend 2 days a week on apparently. Throw in all your leave days and the 2500 and it seems very awkward for this year, but so many people trying to do it, it has me wondering if I don't do it now will I be regretting it in a few years time. 28 now and already feel like I've waited too long to do it!