Training
Three online courses you can start any time, taught by working South African farmers. One payment, lifetime access, certificate included.
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.
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.
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.
A technical manual for small commercial mushroom growers
Twelve modules covering species choice, the lab, spawn, substrates, composting and casing, incubation, the fruiting room, biosecurity, harvest and cold chain, and the business — costing, pricing, break-even and a 90-day launch plan. Written for South Africa, with every figure either cited or clearly labelled as an assumption.
For adults growing a small amount at home, for their own use
Adults 18+ · personal use only · not legal advice
Twelve modules that start with the law as it actually stands in South Africa, then work through genetics and seed, the grow space, light, temperature and humidity, nutrition, training, pests and deficiencies, harvest, drying and curing. Personal use only — the course is explicit that there is no lawful way to sell a home grow.
The two hydroponics courses are available now; the mushroom and home-grower courses are coming soon. All courses are hosted here on the Future Farms school. One payment, lifetime access — or take the two hydroponics courses together for R1 000. Browse the school.
Work through every lesson in a course and download your personalised Future Farms certificate straight away — no waiting, no emails. Print it, frame it, or attach it to a job or funding application as proof of your hydroponics training.
“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.”
“Incredibly informative, clearly articulated, and supplemented with in-depth costings. Well worth the money and time.”
“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.”
Everything is delivered online through the Hydroponic School — work through it at your own pace, from anywhere.
Growing systems, water quality, EC and pH, nutrients and the science behind soilless growing.
Daily checks, dosing, pump and filter maintenance, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Seedling raising, transplanting, spacing, pruning, harvesting and post-harvest handling.
Scouting, integrated pest management and keeping a tunnel clean without wrecking your crop.
Ventilation, shading, humidity and temperature management through South African seasons.
Costing, yield planning, market access and record keeping.
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.
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