Infrastructure and Animal Care Basics

This unit introduces foundational infrastructure, resource, and animal-care skills needed to run a small hobby farm. Students learn safety and PPE, energy and water options, land access and erosion/pasture management, and practical animal selection, acquisition, husbandry, and basic health-response procedures to prepare for on‑farm operations in later units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze on‑site energy and water needs and compare traditional versus on‑site generation and delivery options to produce a basic resource plan for a hobby farm
• Apply safety and biosecurity principles by selecting appropriate personal protective equipment, assembling a basic animal first‑aid kit, and demonstrating safe use of selected tools and first‑aid procedures
• Demonstrate the ability to assess land for access, fencing, natural barriers, pasture health, and erosion risk and implement basic management or mitigation strategies
• Evaluate animal acquisition decisions by identifying species and breeds that align with farm goals, vetting sellers, timing purchases, and developing feeding, watering, vaccination, and illness‑response plans