Organic Lawn and Turf

July 26, 2013
Naugatuck Valley Community College
Waterbury, CT
9:00am - 5:00pm|
$80.00 per person

Are your clients asking for safe, organic lawn care? If so, 

The following statistics may lead you to consider starting an organic lawn care program for your customers. 

Do you want your clients to value you as an industry expert?

The February 2013 issue of Lawn & Landscape magazine reports that 42% of homeowners think they can do a better job than their landscaper! 

Do you want to be viewed as a trusted contractor who recommends products that work because you know it works?

That same issue of L&L magazine reports 58% of homeowners don't trust their landscapers.   

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment in this industry was expected to grow 18 percent between 2008 and 2018 (View the full report).

According to the National Gardening Association, the number of U.S. households using all-natural fertilizers and weed and household insect controls jumped from 5 million in 2004 to 12 million in 2008. And 17% (17 million) of additional households said they “definitely will start using all-natural methods in the future.”  

Don't get lost in the crowd!  Join in the NEW green economy. Become an expert who your clients can trust.   

Come learn trade secrets from trusted industry leaders, so deeply committed to the organic land care movement, they want to share it with you to grow your business. 

Click here to view a sample of the textbook  You will attend an 8 hour course, receive a free textbook and lawn signs, and network with others who are ready to adopt organic lawn care practices today.

View the Agenda

The Instructors

Judy Preston brings her professional training as an ecologist to her enthusiasm as a gardener and landscape designer.  She is a Master Gardener, Master Composter and NOFA certified Organic Land Care practitioner.  Judy works part time for the Long Island Sound Study, through the UConn Sea Grant program, doing environmental outreach and educational programs.  In 2012 she launched Sound Gardening, a program of the Long Island Sound Study designed to work with coastal residents on landscaping solutions to water pollution in Long Island Sound (Longislandsoundstudy.net).  As an adjunct teacher at Three Rivers Community College, Judy incorporates organic land care principles into the curriculum of her environmental studies and soils courses.

Chip Osborne Is a professional horticulturist with over 35 years of experience in various aspects of the green industry.  As a turf professional, his focus has been for many years on developing a successful natural turf management program for athletic fields, public parks, and municipal properties.  He is the founder of Osborne Organics, a consulting firm, that specializes in educational training and support to industry professionals as well as municipalities, school districts, and facilities managers.  Chip is a board member of Beyond Pesticides, Chairman of the Marblehead, Massachusetts' Recreation and Parks Department, and speaks nationwide on the topic of turf management for athletic fields and landscapes. He remains a dedicated environmental activist speaker for communities wanting to learn about why and how to change their town policies.

Tom Barry received his Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in Turfgrass Management from the University of Connecticut. He has published articles pertaining to home lawn fertilization techniques and their subsequent environmental impact on water quality. Tom has worked in various fields within the industry including Assistant Superintendent on golf courses and Property Health Care Manager for a landscaping company and currently works as a Sales Consultant for Read Custom Soils. He is also an Adjunct Instructor in the Horticulture Department at Naugatuck Valley Community College.

Frank Crandall, former owner of Wood River Evergreens, is currently operating Frank Crandall Horticultural Solutions offering design work, garden maintenance, and pruning for clients in Southern RI and Eastern Connecticut. Additionally, Frank is performing small business consultations, hosting GEM Seminars, speaking throughout New England, and recently finished his second book: "The Essential Horticultural Business Handbook". Frank is an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional and serves on the NOFA OLC Committee.

Bernadette Giblin, organic land care expert in documentary “The Truth About Cats, Dogs & Lawn Chemicals” funded by the Newman Foundation.  She is the author of Healthy Hospital Grounds Policy for Practice Greenhealth and a Do-it-Yourself Organic Lawn & Garden Blogger. Bernadette has transitioned hospitals and religious organizations, in addition to parks and schools, and is working directly to empower homeowners and landscapers ready to make the sustainable shift now. 

 This program is made possible by the funding from the Long Island Sound Study and the National Fish and Wildlife Service.