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SUMMER EVENTS
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If you have stories, articles, notices or suggestions for this newsletter, email Carol | |
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Summer Events of Special Interest
A Free Program Thursday, June 25...
The Asian Longhorned Beetle:
What Connecticut Green Industry Professionals Need to Know
The Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) has been found just 20 miles from the
Connecticut border. Everyone in the green industry needs to be concerned
about this pest, because when it's found, valuable trees are  lost and costs are
high to eradicate the pest.
Presented by Rose Hiskes of the CT Agricultural Experiment Station and Chris
Donnelly of the CT Dept. of Environmental Protection, and cosponsored by CNLA,
CTPA and NVCC.
When: Thursday, June 25
Time: 5:30-7:00pm
Where: Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury, Ekstrom
Hall, Room 440
Costs & Registration: Free program,
although we would appreciate knowing you are coming. Follow this link for directions to NVCC.
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Sakonnet View Farm Garden TourPortsmouth, RI
Wednesday,
July 23, 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
This certified National Wildlife Foundation Backyard Habitat was designed to
attract local wildlife and to provide family and friends with organic food.
This "Backyard Habitat" is divided into a series of themes including:
a driveway alley, an entry courtyard, herbs and vegetable bed, berry patches,
perennial gardens, woodland, 'wild' meadow and bee yard.
Sakonnet View Farm is a great example of sustainable horticultural practices. Learn how to amend the soil with compost, create
mulch by using your own chopped leaves, encourage beneficial insects in the
garden, work to control invasive plants, utilize companion planting, prune
trees and shrubs appropriately, and protect plants from stress.
Advanced registration is required.To register please call (401) 253
2707, exts.16 or 21 or register online. Price: $30 Blithewold Members, $35 Non-Members. ***
NOFA is providing Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals many fun and interesting ways to enhance their knowledge and skills this summer.
 On July 8, NOFA's Mike Nadeau will lead an Advanced Workshop on Pruning Woody Trees and Shrubs in Bridgeport, CT at...
In August,NOFA's Lawn & Turf Course will
be offered in three states --in Amherst, MA on August 7; in
Hillsborough, NJ on August 18; and on August 20 in Manchester, CT.
 NOFA's Annual Summer Conference
will offer many learning and social opportunities in a relaxed atmosphere at UMass-Amherst over the August 7-9 weekend.
On September 2nd join Peter Schmidt of Compostwerks, LLC for a workshop on Producing and Applying Actively Aerated Compost Teas at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY
(Westchester County)
Hope to see you there! |
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CT NOFA's Gardener Education Workshops--Summer 2009
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Each of these workshops for homeowners on organic methods of gardening will meet first in Manchester and two days later in Wallingford, CT from 6-8 p.m.
July 7 & 9: Pruning Vegetables and Flowers
July 14 & 16: Garden Problem Solving
August 18 & 20: Season Extenders & Fall Crops in the
Landscape.
For more information visit CT NOFA or contact Deb Legge at 203-888-5146.
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Employment Opportunity at CT NOFA
Part-time Project Coordinator
NOFA Organic Land Care Program
The NOFA Organic Land Care (OLC) Program seeks a highly
motivated person to coordinate special projects for our rapidly growing
multi-state program for organic land care professionals, including our new Homeowner Campaign.
We have created the Homeowner Campaign in an effort to educate homeowners
on organic land care and connect them with our Accredited
Professionals. Key components in the NOFA Homeowner Campaign are a series of workshops geared toward homeowners, a series of seasonal articles, and a
homeowner's how-to section on our website, where additional information on the Organic Land Care program can be found.
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| NOFA Organic Land Care Guide Available Now!
The 2009-2010 edition of the NOFA OLC Guide provides homeowners a directory of NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals and articles about organic land care.
Every page of the Guide refers readers to our new online searchable database.
Please email Deb or call the CT NOFA Office (203-888-5146) if you would like to receive a copy or copies of the latest edition for yourself and your clients. |
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A Call for Your Help!
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If you would like to help CT NOFA distribute the Guide to Organic Land Care and/or brochures about the new Home Gardener Education Project and Workshops, please contact Deb or call (203) 888-5146. We very much appreciate all that you do to advocate organic methods of land care.
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AOLCP Credit Opportunities Please view Credit Opportunities at the Organic Land Care website for further information and useful links.
June 24: Where Wildlife Live - Hampton, CT
June 25: The Asian Longhorned Beetle - Waterbury, CT
June 26-28: Newport Flower Show Lectures - Newport, RI
June 27: Green Garage - Alexandria, Virginia
June 28: Foods from the Landscape -Burlington, CT
July 8: Pruning Woody Trees and Shrubs - Bridgeport, CT
July 17-25: New England Plant Communities - Athol, MA
July 18: Fern Glenn - Winchendon, MA
July 19: One Acre in the Woods - Chesterfield, MA
July 21: On-Farm Workshop at Gilbertie's Herbs - Easton, CT
July 24-29: Int'l. Soc. of Arboriculture Conf. - Providence, RI
July 24-26 & Aug. 13-15: Field Botany of New England -
Cambridge, MA and Newry, ME
July 31-Aug. 13: The Sustainable Home and Landscape-
Ashfield, MA and Cambridge, MA
August 1: Medicinal Herbs - Boxborough, MA
August 7-9: NOFA Summer Conference - Amherst, MA
August 7: NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course - Amherst, MA
August 18: NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course-Hillsborough,NJ
August 20: NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course-Manchester,CT
Aug. 23 & Sept. 18-20: Field Botany of New England II -
Cambridge, MA and Newry, ME
September 2: Aerated Compost Teas - Pocantico Hills, NY
Sept. 9 - Oct. 21: Trees in the Landscape - Cambridge, MA
Sept. 9-Oct. 21: Green Roofs and Rain Gardens-Cambridge,MA
Sept. 9-Dec. 9: Ground Rules and the Sustainable Environment
- Cambridge, MA
Sept. 9 - Dec. 16: Sustainable & Green tech.- Cambridge, MA
Sept.10 - Dec.10: The Small Sustainable Farm -Cambridge, MA
October 4: Seed-saving - Gill, MA
Nov. 4, 2009 - Feb. 11, 2010: Sustainable Site Engineering -
Cambridge, MA
Nov. 9-Dec. 21: Green Roofs and Rain Gardens-Cambridge, MA
Ongoing: Natural Turf Pro, Professional Landscaper DVD Training and written test.
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A Refresher: What to do if and when...
- When
attending
an approved workshop or course for reaccreditation credits, remember
to bring with you a Reaccreditation Form, and have it signed by the
presenter. Send the signed form to Carol Hannon, Accreditation
Manager, CTNOFA, P. O. Box 164, Stevenson, CT 06491. You can send your
$100 reaccreditation fee
anytime before the end of December to avoid a $25 late fee.
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If you request approval for a workshop/course, please check "Credit Opportunities" at our website about
ten days later to see whether it has been approved.
If you don't see it there, contact Carol to follow
up.
- If you are presenting a workshop, please submit a complete description of your presentation to Carol, so that she can submit it to the Credit Committee for approval. You may receive reaccreditation credits for your presentation.
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AOLCPs in Action!
Sanne Kure-Jensen is offering a tour of her Sakonnet View Farm in Portsmouth, RI, on July 23rd from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. See details about this summer event above.
Marie Stella is teaching a graduate course at the Landscape Institute, which will explore the Beaver Lodge, a Platinum-Leed-certified residence that she designed. See the Credit Opportunity above, entitled "The Sustainable Home and Landscape..." on July 31 to August 13.
Ingrid Wheeler's monthly workshops for home gardeners at ROOTS Natural Foods in Leominster, MA will continue through September
Dawn Pavone's workshop on medicinal herbs takes place on August 1 at the Bird House Garden Center, Boxborough, MA.
Remember to seek out your AOLCP colleagues at the NOFA Summer Conference!
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Also of Interest
New studies find that Roundup's inert ingredients can kill human cells, see Environmental Health New's article.
"Poisonous Mulch...Deadly For
Dogs"
According to Snopes.com, the Internet's preeminent resource for verifying and debunking rumors, although Cocoa Mulch had no warnings printed on the label, upon
further investigation on the company 's website, this product is
HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats . Visit the Snopes site for more information.
"The Great
American Lawn--There's more to a healthy lawn than
green grass," by Mary Serreze, appeared in the Valley Advocate on May 28.
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