Accelerating Workforce Development
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), CEA Works is an educational program developed with GLASE, Cornell University, SUNY Broome, Ohio State University, and Agritecture.
CEA Works creates courses in advanced CEA production and business management to provide the industry with knowledge and skills to support the rapidly growing greenhouse and indoor farming workforce.
The Course
Unlock the secrets to healthy crop production with our Root Zone Management course! Designed for early to mid-career professionals in the CEA industry, this course provides an introduction to managing the critical components of a root zone environment. Gain the expertise to optimize plant health and productivity with content that includes plant nutrition, growing media/substrates, moisture management, and more.
Target Audience
The intended audience for this course is early to mid-career professionals in the CEA industry, those looking to enter the industry, or individuals with a desire to learn more about the promises and challenges of CEA. Before entering the course, there is no pre-requisite for background knowledge or pre-study- the instructors will define all industry terms as they come up.
Example Curriculum
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. Uttara Samarakoon, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University
Dr. Uttara Samarakoon is an Associate Professor at Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) on the CFAES Wooster Campus. She coordinates the Associate of Applied Science degree program in Greenhouse and Nursery Management at OSU. Her research centers on developing sustainable crop production technologies for ornamentals and hydroponic vegetables within controlled environment agriculture. Current projects focus on optimizing nutrients, selecting appropriate substrates, and diversifying hydroponic crops to enhance food crop production. Additionally, Dr. Samarakoon organizes an annual workshop for K-12 teachers, providing training in greenhouse management and integrating controlled environment agriculture education into school curricula.