Continuing Education

CENTER FOR GREEN LIVING AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Westchester Community College & Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center present
a new program in Sustainable Agriculture
Certificate in Sustainable Vegetable Production

If you’re interested in becoming a vegetable farmer, have a passion for sustainable agriculture, or simply want to improve your own produce growing skills, this exciting new program is for you!
All classes take place at beautiful Hilltop Hanover Farm in Yorktown Heights. This 187-acre farm is owned by the County of Westchester, and includes a five-acre commercial crop farm, two greenhouses, and a composting facility that all highlight best practices in sustainable agriculture. Seasoned agricultural service providers and farming professionals make up the certificate faculty.

The certificate curriculum will prepare those who wish to develop agricultural and entrepreneurial skills, as well as those wishing to enhance their knowledge of vegetable production. Program focus is based on environmentally sound, community based, small-farm practices.

The program consists of 45 hours of core courses, 18 hours of electives, and 16 hours of community service at the Farm, for a total of 79 hours. Coursework includes classroom study and hands-on field work highlighting practical farming skills and concepts. You may opt to complete the certificate program in 2 semesters or you may choose to take courses as stand-alone courses at your own pace.

To register, call us at 914-606-6830 and press 1, or register online at www.sunywcc.edu/ce.

All courses take place at Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center located at 1271 Hanover Street in Yorktown Heights (www.hilltophanoverfarm.org)

Core Courses:
Sustainable Crop Production
This course covers spring organic crop production practices, including vegetables, cut flowers, and culinary herbs. Topics include variety selection, production methods, and record keeping.
CE-GRDN 2025, 4 Sat., Feb. 18, Mar. 10 & 31, Apr. 14, 10:00 am-1:00 pm, Barn F, $375. #13353

Elective Courses:

New! Basic Farm Maintenance
This course covers fundamental maintenance and repair of farm facilities and equipment. Topics include safe use of hand tolls and farm machinery, carpentry, concrete work, painting, plumbing and calculating costs and materials needed. Upon completion, students should be able to answer theoretical questions and topics covered and assist with maintenance and repair of farm facilities and equipment.
CE-GRDN 2028, 3 Sat., Feb. 11, Mar. 17 & Apr. 7, 10:00 am-1:00 pm, Barn F, $225. #13554.

New! Agricultural Business and Marketing
This course covers basic business and marketing principals for agricultural products. Topics covered include: buying, selling, processing, grading, storing and marketing of agricultural products. Small scale business practices will introduce students to hands-on techniques and procedures for planning and starting a small business. Emphasis will be on market research, finance, time management and day-to-day activities owning/operating a small business. Upon completion, students should be able to write and implement a viable business plan.
CE-BUS 2040, 3 Thurs., Feb. 2-16, 5:30-8:30 pm, Barn F, $225. #13555

Photovoltaics

We now offer state of the art training in Photovoltaics (PV) for those who are interested in becoming an PV installer, sales representative, system designer, or who are seeking general information for home use. Basic Electrical Theory and Math is intended for those who need to brush up on these basic skills before taking the PV installation program, see the first class below.

Basic Electrical Theory and Math for Photovoltaics
Intended to help prepare you for Intro to Photovoltaic Installation; gain a basic understanding of basic electrical concepts and formulas and the use of a scientific calculator. Topics include the interrelation of voltage, current, and resistance using Ohm’s Law, DC and AC single, split, and 3 phase sources, series and parallel connections, power calculations, and hands-on testing using meters. Prerequisite: basic arithmetic and elementary algebra. Students must bring TI-36X Solar calculator to class; handouts supplied by instructor.
CE-BSKLS 2000, 2 Sat., Mar. 3 & 10, 9:00 am-5:30 pm, Room TBD, $195. R Van Inwegen. #13556

Introduction to Photovoltaic Installation for NABCEP Exam
Learn the basics of PV system design and installation and the learning objectives needed to pass the NABCEP Entry Level exam. Operation and application of system components including PV modules, charge controllers, inverters, and battery systems are explained. Topics include installation safety, solar radiation, system sizing, mechanical and electrical integration with NEC code requirements. Actual PV hardware is used to demonstrate installation concepts. 40 total hours of instruction. Prerequisite: Basic Electrical Theory & Math for Photovoltaics or electrical knowledge demonstrated by competency exam.
CE-TECH 2003, 5 Sat., Mar. 24-Apr. 28 (skip 4/7), 9:00 am-5:30 pm, Room TBD, $625 (+ textbook). R Van Inwegen. #13557
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Green Construction Management: Introduction to LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Led by an acclaimed LEED professional, get an introduction to green building principles and the fundamentals of the LEED Rating System. We cover global warming, carbon footprint, water efficiency, light pollution reduction, water classification and irrigation, storm water management, heat island effect, refrigerant management, onsite/offsite renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling, building reuse, construction waste management, construction materials, FSC certified wood, sustainable purchasing, solid waste management, indoor air quality and thermal comfort, and more as it relates to building design, construction and operations. Students will learn about the requirements and the process of how buildings become LEED certified, and how industry professionals become LEED credentialed.
CE-GREEN 2005, 2 Thurs., Feb. 9 & 16, 6:00-9:30 pm, Room TBD, $195. B Hagen. #13176

New! Closed Loop, Full Life Cycle, Zero Waste, Green Washing: What Does it all Mean?
Increase your Eco IQ! Explore the language of environmentalism and sustainability and discover their relevance to your life. We will look at common terms heard in media (mainstream and not) discussions about the environment, examine what underlying sustainability principles these phrases point to, discuss why each is a good thing to understand, and how we can apply this understanding to make better life choices.
CE-GREEN 2008, 2 Wed., Mar. 7 & 14, 7:00-9:00 pm, Room TBD, $60. M J Wilson. #13453

New! True Costing: What’s the Real Cost to Me and the Environment?
A must for those interested in the environment! The dollar and environmental cost of an item does not stop when we pay at the checkout. Directly and indirectly, we can pay for maintenance, care, repair, and disposal in ways not always clear. We’ll look at the “full life cycle” of everyday items to get a better understanding of what costs accumulate over time: if we paid true value for our initial investment what where the environmental costs, what ongoing costs do we keep paying, and what is the real expense for disposal? Learn to make decisions that reduce wasteful uses of our economic and environmental resources.
CE-GREEN 2009, 2 Wed., Feb. 8 & 15, 7:00-9:00 pm, Room TBD, $60. MJ Wilson. #13558

Center for Energy Efficiency and Building Science (CEEBS)

Building Science Courses
Through these certification courses, learn how to use the “whole house” performance-based
approach to understand how the house works as a system. The latest building science
technology enables you to provide clients with a more comfortable, safe, durable and
energy efficient home. For more information call Steve Leone at 914-606-6658 or email steve.leone@sunywcc.edu

Building Analyst
This course teaches contractors how to use building science technology to analyze and resolve residential energy efficiency issues in preparation for the Building Performance Institute’s Building Analyst written and field exams.

Envelope Professional
This course covers advanced building envelope diagnostic, evaluation and repair skills in
preparation for the Building Performance Institute’s Envelope Professional written and field exams