Advanced Agroecology
Fall 2026 Online Certificate Course
Advanced Agroecology
MESA's Advanced Agroecology course is the next step for practitioners ready to deepen their expertise and expand their impact. Building on the fundamentals of agroecology, this course takes a deeper dive into specialized topics that equip farm and garden managers, small nonprofits, and emerging agricultural leaders with the advanced knowledge and tools to grow their projects with greater intention and resilience. Whether you're refining an existing operation or planning your next chapter, this course meets you where you are and challenges you to go further.
Expand your literacy in the practices, politics, and science of agroecology with MESA’s
12 live online learning sessions this Fall!
Course Dates: October 12th - November 16th
Course Times: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm PST on Mondays
Course Platforms: ZOOM & GOOGLE CLASSROOM
$300 COURSE FEE
Bonus: Students receive a $100 Baker Creek Seed gift code upon successful course completion!
for 12 Sessions & Certificate
Course Details
Dr. Frida Endinjok is an agroecology instructor with extensive experience teaching and mentoring emerging and current farmers, scholars, and advocates committed to building more sustainable and equitable food systems. She joined the MESA team in 2020 as the Lead Instructor for the CSUN Institute for Sustainability’s first AFFP Cohort and later served as Fellowship Coordinator. Dr. Endinjok holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in public health with an emphasis on community health education, as well as a bachelor’s degree in nutrition. Her professional background includes developing and evaluating the “Let’s Grow Healthy” program, which provides hands-on, garden-enhanced nutrition education in elementary schools across Los Angeles, establishing and coordinating an on-campus garden that offers workshops, fresh produce, and community projects, and founding and leading a Food Recovery Network chapter to redirect edible food from landfills to individuals experiencing food insecurity. With more than five years of teaching and mentoring experience, she is deeply committed to helping others discover their passions and advocate for sustainable food systems.
Your Instructor
Frequently Asked Questions
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This is a great course for anyone wanting to explore agroecology principles and applications in the real world. This course is also a great add on for anyone already working, interning or volunteering on a farm or community garden.
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30 to 40 hours for the whole class. Mostly for the class meetings. Outside of meetings, you may expect to spend about 1 hour per week to review materials and submit your reflections.
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No, but there are reflection questions. These questions are optional, but can really help with the conversations that we have. There is a final presentation project that averages 2 to 3 hours to prepare.
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Absolutely! You can reach your instructor at frida@mesaprogram.org to find a time to meet.
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You may expect to spend 2-3 hours to prepare your project presentation for class.
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- starting a community garden
- starting a herbal garden
- creating a product from your farm
- conducting a needs assessment with your community
- offering gardening classes at a school
Course Overview
This online certificate course is designed for graduates of MESA's introductory agroecology programming and others with foundational knowledge who are ready to level up. Over the course of the fall term, participants will explore specialized topics including agroforestry, agricultural advocacy, irrigation systems, agroecology research, product marketing, and farm and nonprofit fundraising and management. The course meets once per week on Mondays via Zoom for 90-minute, facilitator-led sessions, and features three guest presentations from experts in agroforestry and irrigation/dry farming systems. Learning is participatory and applied — students engage in discussions, short presentations, and collaborative strategic planning, culminating in a final project plan tailored to their own farm, garden, or organization.
Course Goals and Learning Objectives
Apply advanced agroecological principles to the design, management, or expansion of a farm, garden, or food systems project
Develop a working knowledge of agroforestry systems and their applications in diverse agricultural contexts
Articulate and advocate for your project's mission using tools from agricultural policy and advocacy
Conduct or critically engage with agroecology research to inform on-farm decision-making
Create a final project plan that integrates course learning into a concrete vision for your operation
Add an Advanced Agroecology Certificate from MESA to your professional portfolio