Hydroponic training session at a Future Farms facility

Training

Hydroponic courses and training from working farmers

Two online courses you can start any time, plus hands-on operator training and mentorship on your own farm. Future Farms SA trains growers on the systems we install — and on farms we did not build.

Available courses

Professionally produced hydroponics courses for any up-and-coming farmer — done online, start anytime. Whether you are growing at home or setting up a large-scale facility, Future Farms has you covered.

Hydroponics: A Broad Overview

Hydroponics: A Broad Overview

Everything you need to know about hydroponics

A complete introduction to soilless growing — systems, water quality, nutrients, EC and pH, crop choice and what it really takes to run a hydroponic setup. Ideal if you are starting out at home or sizing up a first commercial tunnel.

Step by Step Guide to Make Money from Hydroponics

Step by Step Guide to Make Money from Hydroponics

Getting a hydroponic farming enterprise off the ground

A detailed, step-by-step business course: costings, yields, capital layout, market access and the calculations behind a profitable hydroponic farm — taught from real South African operations.

R1 500Enrol now

Courses are hosted on the Future Farms Hydroponic School and open in a new tab.

A look inside the Hydroponic School

What our students say

A wonderful course, with valuable material and information and what it takes to be successful. The Future Farms team were also very helpful in answering further questions I had after I finished the course.
Christopher DavisBusiness Owner
Incredibly informative, clearly articulated, and supplemented with in-depth costings. Well worth the money and time.
Alex BergerHydroponic Farmer
This course is a good match for me. It covered the basics with quick and easy-to-understand information. What I appreciate about the course is the actual steps to follow during the process and the calculations behind what makes a hydroponics farm profitable.
Andrew RichEntrepreneur

On-farm training: what we cover

Training is delivered on your farm, at our facilities, or online through the Hydroponic School — usually a combination of all three.

Hydroponic fundamentals

Growing systems, water quality, EC and pH, nutrients and the science behind soilless growing.

Running the system

Daily checks, dosing, pump and filter maintenance, and what to do when something goes wrong.

Crop management

Seedling raising, transplanting, spacing, pruning, harvesting and post-harvest handling.

Pest & disease control

Scouting, integrated pest management and keeping a tunnel clean without wrecking your crop.

Tunnel climate

Ventilation, shading, humidity and temperature management through South African seasons.

Farming as a business

Costing, yield planning, market access and record keeping.

Future Farms team member training growers on a hydroponic system

Skills transfer that actually sticks

Over the years the Future Farms team has built its knowledge base through hard work, agricultural studies, hydroponic courses and our own research and development. We combine that as professional hydroponic farmers into simple, practical training for anyone in the field.

On the Knowledge Pele community farm in Touws River we trained the personnel who have since taken over full management of the site. In the Johannesburg CBD we trained young entrepreneurs to run rooftop farms and sell into the local market. Handover, not dependency, is the point.