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| Eric T. Fleisher |
The 2012 Organic Land Care Annual Gathering on December 5,
2012 in Sturbridge, MA is a full day program with presentations by leaders in
the sustainable landscaping movement about new practices in organic land
care. The Northeast Organic Farming
Association (NOFA) Organic Land Care Program hosts the event to provide
education and networking opportunities for the northeast’s sustainable
landscapers and is open to the public.
The 2012 Annual Gathering is titled “Success with the
Organic Land Care Market” and the keynote speaker will be Eric T. Fleisher, the
Director of Horticulture at Battery Park City Parks Conservancy in lower
Manhattan. Fleisher is a national leader
in the field of sustainable horticulture, and has transitioned 37-acres of
parkland on the Hudson River to be maintained organically. Fleisher will discuss the results-driven
approach to organic land care in order to build credibility for yourself and
your business.
Bernadette Giblin will share her experience educating
citizens, municipalities and institutions about organic land care, drawing on
her work transitioning four municipal parks departments in western
Massachusetts from conventional management to organic. Dave Alba, the Program Manager of Oregon
Tilth’s Organic Land Care Program will offer a unified approach for
professionals to maintain consistent practices and messaging across North
America.
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| Dave Alba from Oregon Tilth |
Chip Osborne of Osborne Organics will present his studies
about compost and compost tea application in response new regulations about
nitrogen and phosphorus applications. Lee
Corte-Real, the Director of the Division of Crop and Pest Services at the
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, will discuss new laws that
affect land care professionals and the requirements for using organic pesticides
in Massachusetts.
Cheryl Smith, an educator with the University of New
Hampshire Cooperative Extension, will teach about organic management and
treatment of plant disease. Cynthia
Rabinowitz, a professional soil scientist and certified permaculture design
consultant, will outline permaculture principles and their application to
organic land care.
The Annual Gathering is on December 5 from 9:00am to 5:30pm
at the Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA.
During break periods and lunch, attendees are welcome to visit with
exhibitors and to visit with the NOFA Organic Land Care staff to learn about
accreditation. Registration for the
general public is $115 ($100 for NOFA Members or Accredited Professionals). For more information or to register, please visit
www.organiclandcare.net/education/annual-gathering
or call the NOFA Organic Land Care office at 203-888-5146.
