This certificate program is designed to provide a solid general foundation of knowledge of local food systems practice. It is composed of three (3) courses:

1. Foundations in Local Food Development (15 hours): This course serves as an introduction to the practice of local  food systems development and is a prerequisite for enrolling in the other courses listed below.
2. Farm to Fork: Foundations in Local Food Supply and Value Chains (8-9 hours): This course will introduce you to the concept of a value chain, and will explore what values drive supply chain configuration in different contexts.
3. The Bottom Line: Economic Realities and Other Considerations of Local Food Systems (8-9 hours): This course provides an overview of how to analyze the community economic development impacts of local food systems, including the basics of business planning and development.  

These courses are designed for working professionals and utilize various types of engaging activities, including lectures, readings, forum posts, podcasts, and virtual field trips. These are "asynchronous" self-paced, online courses, meaning that there are no scheduled meeting times. Currently, you can enroll when you are ready to start, and begin interacting with the learning content at your own pace. Course certificates of completion will be offered through NC State University to participants who successfully complete all course modules, quizzes, and forum post requirements.

How to Register

Click on the Register button. You will be directed to REPORTER where you will actually register for the program, and then for the course or courses that comprise the program.

Login to REPORTER using the BRICKYARD Login option, and register for the program, following the instructions provided below.

How to Register After You Have Logged in to REPORTER

Locate the certificate or diploma program in the catalog or through a direct link.

Click the Register button.

A confirmation window will open; confirm you would like to register yourself for the program by selecting Proceed.

You will then arrive at your order summary. Check out, and then return to the Home Page to select the course or courses that comprise the program.

How to Register for Courses in a Certificate or Diploma Program

On your homepage, scroll down until you see the section for ‘Program Enrollment’. Locate the Certificate and click the View Programs option under the title.

• Select the blue Register for All Program Items button.

• You will be brought to a filtered view of the catalog, showing the items in your program. Select the Add to Cart option next to each course you wish to register for.

• After selecting the last course for your program, click ‘Proceed to Cart’ on the popup -- or click the Cart link in the top right.

You must select that you “have read and agree to the registration policies” for each item in your cart.

Then click the green Proceed to Order Summary button on the right hand side.

Review your selections, and then click the Checkout button at the bottom of the page.

You should be brought to your order summary, confirming your registration. You can add sessions to your calendar by clicking the add to calendar button. You will also receive a registration email for each course with additional details.

Note: Understanding the certificate or diploma program fee structure

In some cases, you will not immediately see a fee for enrolling in a program, but you will see there is a fee for each course in the program. As you add each course to your cart, the fee for the course or courses will be displayed. 

In order to complete the diploma or certificate program, you will need to meet the requirements that are outlined in the details section of the program page. 

Once the required course or courses have been completed, you will receive a program completion certificate.