Iowa farmers can learn on-line

Iowa farmers looking to learn a little more about the ag business can do so this year without leaving the warmth and comfort of their home through the Iowa State University Extension “E-school.” Tim Eggers of the Agricultural Economics Department help develop the courses for the school. He says it’s designed to help farmers increase their management skills and includes courses on advanced grain marketing, financial decision making and farmland ownership. Eggers says these are the types of courses that farmers used to have to travel to an extension office to take. He says more farmers are working off farm now and need to take courses at different hours.Eggers says they get the same information and attention they would in a traditional course.He says the program allows them to learn from the professors and others through chats.The courses cost about 100 dollars each. He says that’s not a lot when you consider the cost of driving to courses during the middle of the winter. Eggers says the on-line classes allow students to work at their own pace at any time and in any place where they can access the Internet. For more information about these courses visit: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ames. To view course schedules and register go to: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ames/registration.htm.