Four Day
Course at USM Accredits Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs)
Landscaping professionals
transitioning to organic practices, and those already using chemical-free options
who want to learn more, are invited to attend a NOFA OLC 30-hour professional training
course at the University of Southern Maine, Portland on August 15, 16, 22,
& 23, 2016, and sit for the accreditation exam.
New! 10 Maine Board of
Pesticides Control credits available for the Maine Accreditation Course in
Organic Land Care. If you are looking for
credits to renew your license, you only need 9 every three years for a
Commercial Master Applicator License.
Since 2002, The NOFA (Northeast
Organic Farming Association) Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care has been
the definitive professional training course for landscapers, lawn care
specialists, municipal groundskeepers, landscape architects and environmental
educators to learn and adopt best practices for caring for the land without
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Attendees who pass the accreditation exam
on August 23 become Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs),
joining over 500 NOFA AOLCPs in 20 states, including 8 in Maine.
Landscaping professionals in
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and other New England states increasingly
consider this course a savvy investment in distinguishing themselves as highly
trained experts in the growing market for non-toxic and organic landscaping
services.
Demand for organic land care professionals is increasing rapidly in
Maine due to a growing concern about the hazards of synthetic pesticides and the
adoption of ordinances banning or restricting the use of chemical pesticides on
town, and sometimes private, land in twenty-seven towns including Ogunquit,
Rockland and most recently, South Portland.
After receiving requests from Maine
Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), Portland Protectors, and many
individuals to bring the course to Maine, NOFA is pleased to announce its
inaugural course dates and offer early bird registration of $695 until June 30
at organiclandcare.net.
“This dynamic course is packed with an enormous amount of information delivered by some of the organic landscape industry’s most knowledgeable and engaging speakers. Business owners, organizations, and individuals alike, will benefit from this excellent value and keen marketing tool. Whether you are new to the idea of organic land care or are interested in advancing your skills to the next level, this course can meet your needs.” - Jen Dunlap, AOLCP, a Horticulturist with Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay and a February 2016 course graduate.
Local professionals joining the roster of notable Accreditation
Course in Organic Land Care instructors include David Melevsky of Go GreenLandscaping Inc. of Scarborough, Maine who will teach “Organic Tick Control”
and Paula Kovecses of The Way It Grows, a landscaping company in Eastport,
Maine, will teach "Introduction to Permaculture."
Seasoned
instructors include leading organic land care industry experts Chip Osborne of
Osborne Organics, Michael Nadeau of Wholistic Land Care Consulting, Frank
Crandall of Frank Crandall Horticultural Solutions, and Paul Wagner of GreenerPastures Organics. The curriculum includes soil health and proper soil testing,
site analysis, green stormwater infrastructure, plant care and organic turf.
The course runs from 8:00am - 5:00pm each day and can
accommodate up to 60 students. The early bird registration fee of $695 includes
all course materials, lunch, the final exam and 2016 Accreditation. Group
discounts and payment plans are available.
For more details including a course
curriculum, and to register, contact the Northeast Organic Farming Association
(CT NOFA) office at 203-308-2584 or visit www.organiclandcare.net.
