Advanced Workshops 

Organic Invasive Removal and Control     

 
Friday, July 8th, 2011 (Rain date - Friday, July 15th, 2011)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm 
Beardsley Zoo
Bridgeport, CT 06610
 
Come and learn about plant identification, biological controls of invasives with beneficial insects, and a demonstration of organic techniques used for removing a variety of invasive plants.  For additional information, go to our web site.

Compost Tea: First Defense in Organic Land Care

Tuesday, August 23, 2011
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
New York Botanical Garden

Peter Schmidt of Compostwerks, LLC will lead land care professionals and advanced gardeners through the environmentally cutting edge process that can reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides.

For additional information, go to our web site.

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New Publication  

Two free copies of this publication will be mailed to the first ten AOLCPs that send in a request. Email clara@organiclandcare.net  to request your copies.  

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Creating "Kid Conscious Lawns" in Illinois

By Kathy Litchfield - Cathy Bilow is interested in making the world a better place to live, which is why she chose a career in landscaping over 30 years ago.  

"The organic land care takes creating beautiful outdoor spaces to the next level," said the new NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional (AOLCP). Bilow braved major blizzards and airport delays to attend the 5-day course in Newburyport, MA last January. Traveling from her hometown of Roanoke, Ill. to Massachusetts was worth the effort, she said.  "I truly enjoyed attending the OLC class and meeting some great people. I know that I will reap many rewards from it. I learned a lot and it strengthened my commitment to practicing and teaching sustainable land care," said Bilow. Read more. 

Friday, August 12, 2011, 8am - Noon   UMass Amherst Campus Center 904-908, Amherst.

Friday, August 19, 2011, 9am - 1 pm Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport.

 Read more about the workshops.

To register visit www.nofamass.org or contact Kathy Litchfield at (413) 773-3830 or Kathy@nofamass.org.

NOFA 37^th Annual Summer Conference - August 12-14, 2011, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Go to this website for additional information.

Job opening -Urban Agriculture Manager, Delaware Center for Horticulture (Wilmington, DE) 

Learn more . 

Inviting AOLCPs! - You are invited to submit a workshop proposal for the NOFA/Mass Annual Winter Conference, to be held on January 14, 2012, in Worcester, Mass. See the following site for further information  

Newest weapon against mile-a-minute weed is weevils - read more about this biological control.  

"Do not compost grass clipping ..."- reads a label from a new product by DuPont. Learn more.

Summer Field Days - sponsored by CT Nursery & Landscape Association, on July 13, 2011, Watertown, CT.

To learn more.

Container Gardening for Pollinators Exhibit - in Framingham MA, exhibit runs from June 15 - August 31, 2011. Read more.

Join us on      

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Welcome to Elaine Lengyel!

Elaine is our new OLC Program Director

Elaine comes to CT NOFA with an extensive background in fundraising and administration, having served as a senior staff member for various non-profits in PA, DE and NY.  Since moving to CT in 2007 she has served as Community Co-Coordinator for the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream initiative  to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on the planet - a hospice volunteer, and has taught decision-making within the CT prison system through the Thresholds program.  She recently completed CT NOFA's Beginning Women Farmers, Whole Farm Planning program.

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The following classes and events have been approved for OLC credits.  In order to see a complete description of an event and the number of credits that will be awarded for attendance please go to the credit opportunities page of our website.  When you click on an event title, a complete description, including time, place, registration information, and number of credits will open.

7/5/11 - Plants for Landscaping, Bronx, NY
7/6/11 - RI Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course, Kingston, RI
7/8/11 - Organic Invasive Removal and Control, Bridgeport, CT
7/12/11 - Plants for Landscaping, Bronx, NY
7/14/11 - Proper Selection and Planting of Trees and Shrubs, East Falmouth, MA
7/14/11 - Meeting the Challenges in an Organic Turf Pest Management Program, East Falmouth, MA
7/14/11 - Permaculture Design Certificate Course, Hillsborough, NJ
7/15/11 - Trees and Water Quality, New Paltz, NY
7/15/11 - Green Infrastructure in Communities , New Paltz, NY
7/15/11 - Promoting Native Plants, New Paltz, NY
7/16/11 - Planning for Trees in Subdivisions-Preservation of Existing Trees, Planting New Trees, New Paltz, NY
7/21/11 - UMass Turf Research Field Day, South Deerfield, MA
7/23/11 - Plants for Landscaping, Bronx, NY
7/31/11 - Pines: An In-depth Exploration, Jamaica Plain, MA
8/12/11 - Organic Lawns & Landscapes Refresher Workshops, Amherst, MA

Native plants evolved in harmony with their environment over the course of millennia. During

this evolution, they adapted to their habitat in relation to other species of plants and to insects,

animals, and other organisms to create an intricate web of life. The web has rewoven itself repeatedly over thousands of years in response to disturbance, such as glaciation, and to management by Native Americans.