Do I need my own farm to do this farm management course online?

No. You don't need land, livestock or a farm job to enrol, and no prior study is needed. Where an assignment asks about a property, you can use any site you have access to, such as a farm you work on or a family property. Most assessment is written.

How long does the Certificate in Sustainable Farm Management take?

Most students finish in 10–15 weeks studying part-time. The two core modules add up to about 200 study hours, and you work at your own pace. You have 12 months' access, with extensions of up to 12 months available on application (an extension fee may apply).

Will this certificate help me get a farm management job?

It can help, but it isn't a licence or an accredited qualification. It's a non-accredited short course, not a nationally accredited VET qualification such as a Certificate III, and it focuses on practical farm business and land-management knowledge. If a role legally requires a specific qualification, check with the employer; our course consultants will be upfront about what the course can and can't do.

Is sustainable farming the same as organic farming?

No. Organic farming is a defined production system with rules about which inputs can be used, and produce sold as certified organic must meet a certification standard. Sustainable farming is a broader goal that can apply to conventional, organic or regenerative systems. If you want the organic methods themselves, see the Certificate in Organic & Sustainable Farming.

Can I add other modules to this course?

Yes. Popular add-ons are Pasture Management, Soil Management, Sheep Farming and Agricultural Marketing. Speak to a course consultant about adding modules when you enrol.

Agriculture & Crop Science Courses

Certificate in Sustainable Farm Management (Online)

Build a farm business, and a landscape, that lasts.

Learn to plan and finance a farm business while looking after the soil, water and land it depends on, so the property stays productive and viable for the next generation. Online, self-paced, with tutor support.

100% online
2 core modules
approx. 200 study hours
12 months' access
Tutor support 6 days a week
Certificate + transcript

Download the brochure Speak to a course consultant

Header harvesting a wheat crop in Western Australia

What is the Certificate in Sustainable Farm Management?

The Certificate in Sustainable Farm Management is a self-paced online course about running a farm that lasts. Across two modules (Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Management) you'll learn to plan, finance and staff a farm business while protecting the soil, water and land it relies on. It suits owner-operators, farm successors, small-acreage landholders and farm staff moving into management.

Course overview

Profitable this season, still productive in twenty years

Is your farm getting stronger each year, or slowly running down? A property can post a good season while its soils, water and finances quietly decline. This course pairs farm business management with sustainable agriculture, so you can plan for profit and for the long-term health of the land at the same time.

Plan for the long run – Set goals, build a whole-farm plan and property management plan, and work through business structure and succession.
Look after the natural capital – Manage soils, water and land care, from erosion, acidification and salinity to native vegetation and tree regeneration.
Keep the business viable – Budget and forecast, test the financial sustainability of the enterprise, and weigh up diversification options.
Run sustainable enterprises – Apply whole-farm management strategies to sustainable plant and animal enterprises on your own property.

Ready to build a farm that's still working for the next generation? You can start the day you enrol.

Who this course is for

Owner-operators who want to tighten up the business side while improving the condition of their land.
Family-farm successors taking over a property and planning how to hand it on in better shape.
Small-acreage and hobby farmers who want to run a block responsibly and, ideally, cover its costs.
Farm hands moving into management who want to understand the reasons behind land-care, water and stocking decisions.

What you'll study

You'll start with a short Student Induction module that sets you up on the learning platform and introduces your tutor. Then you'll work through two core modules.

Module 1: Sustainable Agriculture (approx. 100 hours)

This module sets out what "sustainable" means on a working farm, environmentally and financially. You'll look at each of the farm's resources in turn, then at how sustainable thinking applies to crops, horticulture and livestock.

Introduction to Sustainable Farming – what sustainability means on a farm.
Soils – keeping soil healthy and productive.
Water – using water sustainably.
Land Care – protecting and repairing land.
Financial Sustainability – keeping the farm business viable over time.
Broad Management Strategies – whole-farm approaches to sustainability.
Plant Enterprises – sustainable cropping and horticulture.
Animal Enterprises – sustainable livestock systems.

Module 2: Farm Management (approx. 100 hours)

Sustainability has to be paid for, and this module shows you how. You'll build the plans, budgets, staffing and safety systems that turn good land management into a business that holds up.

Farm Planning – SMART goals, action plans, and planning and zoning rules.
Business Planning – whole-farm and property management plans, and planning stock and resources.
Financial Management – records, lenders, leases and contracts, budgets and forecasts.
Human Resource Management (HR) – recruiting, inducting and supervising farm staff.
Operational Management – supply chains, scheduling, weather and risk.
Farm Business Structure – business types, family farms, succession, ABN and GST.
OH&S – duty of care, PPE, chemicals, machinery and safety audits.
Land Management – buildings, animal shelters, native vegetation and tree regeneration.
Water Management – water sources, storage, irrigation, salinity and drought.
Soil Erosion – erosion types, acidification, and contour and strip cropping.
Farming Practices – grazing, lot-feeding and cropping systems, energy and waste.
Future Success – diversification and measuring how the business is tracking.

How you'll learn and be assessed

Online, in your own time – study materials, quizzes and assignments are on the learning platform 24/7, on any device.
Quizzes and written assignments – a short online quiz after each unit, and written assignments marked by your tutor with personalised feedback.
Plans for a real property – Farm Management assignments cover planning, operations and resources, business structure and safety, and land, soil and water management, finishing with a task on establishing a working farm.
Competency-based – if an assignment isn't quite there yet, your tutor explains what to improve and you resubmit. No exams to sit in a centre.

Tailor your course with add-on modules

Fit the course to the property you have or the one you're planning. Any certificate can be tailored with add-on modules from our catalogue, so you can pick up extra skills that match your property, business or career plans.

Pasture Management

Grow more feed from the same paddocks: pasture plants and species selection, soil and water, pests and weeds, machinery, establishing new pasture and managing grazing. Well-managed pasture is one of the most direct ways to protect ground cover and soil, and it turns sustainable grazing from an idea into a plan.

Soil Management

Get to know your soil: classification, properties and plant nutrition, soil testing, degradation problems like erosion and salinity, and practical soil management on farms, finishing with your own soil investigation. Adds hands-on soil testing to the sustainability units, so you can measure whether your land is improving.

Sheep Farming

Commercial sheep production for wool and meat: breeds and breeding, lambing, nutrition, health, handling, infrastructure, wool, prime lamb, transport and flock management. A good match if sheep are the enterprise you want to run sustainably.

Agricultural Marketing

Sell what you grow for a better return: marketing strategy, target markets, produce handling, customer relationships, market research and promotion. Helps you turn sustainable practices into a selling point with buyers.

Ask a course consultant about adding modules when you enrol.

Career pathways and earning potential

Sustainable farm management skills are useful on family farms, larger properties and in the land-care and rural services sector. Roles graduates often explore include:

Farm manager or overseer – planning and running the day-to-day operations, budgets and staff of a farming property. Median $105,000; typical $95k–$115k (advertised salaries), SEEK.
Farm worker on a mixed property – hands-on cropping, livestock and land-care work, with a clear understanding of why each job matters. Farmhand median $71,210 (advertised salaries), SEEK.
Bush regeneration or land-care field worker – weed control, revegetation and erosion control on farms and natural areas, often alongside an accredited Cert III or further study. Bush regenerator average $76,470; most common $70k–$80k (advertised salaries), Jora.

Figures are advertised salaries (SEEK, Jora) or median full-time earnings (Jobs and Skills Australia), accessed October 2026. Pay varies with experience, location and employer. Figures are a guide only.

Course details

Study mode: 100% online, self-paced
Core modules: 2 (plus Student Induction)
Study time: approx. 200 hours at your own pace (most students finish in 10–15 weeks)
Access: 12 months
Support: tutor support 6 days a week
You'll receive: Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Attainment and transcript
Payment: upfront or interest-free payment plan

Download the brochure Speak to a course consultant

Download your Certificate in Sustainable Farm Management brochure

Get the full unit list, how assessment works and payment options in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Sustainable agriculture means farming so a property stays profitable without running down the soil, water, vegetation and finances it depends on. It matters because agriculture uses 57.1% of Australia's land and 68.3% of its water consumption (ABARES). In practice that can look like matching stock numbers to feed, keeping ground cover to protect against erosion, using water carefully, holding cash reserves for dry years and planning succession early. This course teaches the business and land-management side together, so each supports the other.