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Regenerative Agriculture Professional Courses
The Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at Chico State offers the Training Assistance Provider (TAP) Certification Program, an online certificate for agricultural and conservation professionals working to support regenerative farms, ranches, and landscapes.
The program features a series of professional courses—three required and one elective of your choice—on the theory and best practices in the areas of ecological management, conservation, and planning. Each of the courses incorporates:
- Fully online delivery for flexibility and convenience
- Lectures and coursework (5–6 hours per week) completed at your own time and pace
- Weekly, one-hour live-online discussions with participants and faculty
- Pass/No Pass quizzes to gauge your mastery of the content
- Certificate of completion given at the end of each course
You can complete the entire certification or opt to take one or a selection of courses that interest you.
Course Registration
How to Register
- Click the Register Today button for the class you wish to take. Classes are listed below.
- Complete the information form and then follow the steps to the payment screen. You do not need to log in.
- Pay by credit card, scholarship code, or third-party funding.
Paying Fees
Fees must be paid at the time of registration, unless you have one of the following:
Scholarship Code
• In the field for Scholarship/Discount Code, enter the course-specific code given to you by the awarding organization.
• Click Apply.
• Click Submit after the code has been applied. If your browser does not show a submit button, refresh the page.
Third-Party Payer—DOR, VA, or Other Funding
• Under Other Payment Method, select Yes for "I have a different funding source."
• Select Third-Party Payer under "Alternative Funding Source."
• Upload your authorization document or provide notes/comments regarding your alternative funding source. We will follow up with you for additional information.
Next Steps
After submitting your registration request, please allow two business days to finalize your enrollment. Once finalized, you will receive a confirmation email from pce@csuchico.edu with next steps to access your class.
Questions? We're here to help!
If you have any questions about or issues with registration, please email our team or call 530-898-6105 and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Note: Chico State offices are open Monday–Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm, during the summer.
Courses
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Faculty: Dr. Cynthia Daley [Bio] and Lindsey Hethcote [Bio] A plan-implement-monitor-replan framework for comprehensive farm and ranch management. Guides agricultural professionals through systems thinking, resource assessment, conservation practice review, and adaptive management monitoring. Includes four specialization tracks: Grazing Management, Soil Health Management, Pollinator Habitat Planning, and Carbon Sequestration. This course may be taken singly for continuing education purposes or general interest. It is a required course for the Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program.
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Dates: Jul. 21–Aug. 28, 2026 Fee: $650 Registration Deadline: July 19 |
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Faculty: Dr. Cynthia Daley [Bio] An introduction to management approaches that focus on the interactions and synergies of ecosystem processes to enhance soil health and water efficiency across different agricultural systems. Topics span no-till farming, cover crops, livestock integration, agroforestry, and economic considerations for regenerative practices. This course may be taken singly for continuing education purposes or general interest. It is a required course for the Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program. |
Dates: Fall 2026 Fee: $650 Registration Opens: July 1, 2026 |
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Faculty: Dr. Garrett Liles [Bio] A comprehensive course on the connection between soil health and primary productivity, and ultimately, food and fiber quality. Covers soil properties, health metrics, and how production practices affect soil components, including sampling, analysis, and on-farm monitoring strategies. This course may be taken singly for continuing education purposes or general interest. It is a required course for the Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program. |
Dates: Fall 2026 Fee: $650 Registration Opens: July 1, 2026 |
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Faculty: Ana Medic, MS [Bio] Explores agricultural practices that enhance pollination services by native pollinators and honeybees. Topics include establishing pollinator habitats and hedgerows, implementing pollinator-friendly cover crops, plant selection, and sustainable practices to support pollinator populations on farms and ranches. This course may be taken singly for continuing education purposes or general interest. It is an elective course for the Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program. |
Dates: Spring 2027 Fee: $500 Registration Opens: Nov. 1, 2026 |
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Faculty: Wendell Gilgert, MS [Bio] Focuses on whole ranch and grazing management planning and design with a focus on climate-smart and regenerative practice implementation. Incorporates Holistic Management and the NRCS Nine Step Conservation Planning Process. Topics include California grazing history, land assessment, livestock management, and mixed-species grazing systems. This course may be taken singly for continuing education purposes or general interest. It is an elective course for the Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program. |
Dates: Spring 2027 Fee: $650 Registration Opens: Nov. 1, 2026 |
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Faculty: Dr. Cindy Prescott [Bio] Presents current scientific understanding of the diversity of life belowground in forests and the fluxes of plant carbon that fuel the belowground ecosystem. Students develop management strategies to promote soil biodiversity, watershed health, and carbon sequestration through adapted forestry practices. This course may be taken singly for continuing education purposes or general interest. It is an elective course for the Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program. |
Dates: Spring 2027 Fee: $500 Registration Opens: Nov. 1, 2026 |
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Faculty: Ken Sandusky [Bio] An introductory course on tribal relations and cultural competency. Covers the role of wildfire in the ecosystem, traditional fire use, tribal relations techniques, partnership building, and project design and implementation. Students learn to integrate indigenous ecological knowledge into conservation planning. This course may be taken singly for continuing education purposes or general interest. It is an elective course for the Technical Assistance Provider Certification Program. |
Dates: Spring 2027 Fee: $500 Registration Opens: Nov. 1, 2026 |
TAP Certification
The Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS) at Chico State has developed this Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) Certification Program to support the expansion of systems-based farm, ranch, and forest management practices on California working lands. It fosters conversation and innovative, collaborative strategies to address current and future threats and opportunities for California agricultural production.
