Award winning consultant Bernadette Giblin will be at our Mid Atlantic Accreditation Course!

 

We are delighted to announce that Bernadette Giblin will be presenting at Mid Atlantic Accreditation course on December 2, 2013!

Bernadette Giblin is the two time recipient of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute's (TURI) Toxics Reduction Champion Award.  She is an organic land care consultant who has worked on the organic transition of several public parks, schools and health care campuses throughout Massachusetts. She is currently launching her blog project Finding Safeground. Additionally, she's collaborating with the NOFA Organic Land Care Program to train landscapers throughout the Long Island Sound region in more effective social marketing campaign strategies. Bernadette's mission is to drive the demand for organic land care to protect the environment & promote a green economy in local communities where we all live, work and play. 

Guest blogger Bernadette Giblin, NOFA AOLCP & Founder, Safeground Organic Landcare Consulting

“The City of Brotherly Love” is filled with many incredible murals. This one adjacent the PHS seemed to capture
 the spirit of NOFA’s OLC accreditation course.

The “CHANGING THE GAME” billboard in the backdrop of the
PECO green roof seemed to signify what NOFA
accreditation is all about. 

I’m back from having a great time participating in the first NOFA Organic Land Care Accreditation Course of 2013!  The January 14^th-17^th course held in Philadelphia, PA was not only the season opener but, it was also the first time the course was on the road in Pennsylvania. CT NOFA OLC had the pleasure of collaborating with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. And what a great partner they found in PHS.  They’re the organization that’s responsible for the largest indoor flower show in the World! And they did a super job hosting the 50+ enthusiastic participants at PHS on Monday- Thursday for the NOFA OLC Accreditation Course. Many of which, I’m pleased to report, were from Philadelphia Park & Recreation. 

Courtesty of PWD websitehttp://www.phillywatersheds.org/

 Julie Snell and Nancy O’Donnell, just two of the supportive PHS team members we had the pleasure of getting acquainted with, helped make everyone feel welcome in these great accommodating facilities. 

And it goes without saying that dedicated OLC staffers worked tirelessly delivering the highest quality programming that the course  has become synonymous with.

It’s always fun and rewarding being in the company of AOLCP’s sharing our commitment to protecting the health of the environment through educating traditional landscapers and other green professional in organic management best practices.   I had the distinct pleasure of kicking off the course with the Principles & Procedures section normally taught by founding OLC Board Member Kim Stoner, who was unable to attend.  I loved getting the opportunity to enlighten the 50 or more new professionals in the room about organic land care, the importance of the OLC standards we adhere to and the network of OLCP support they’ve joined.

Site visit to the green roof of the
Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO)

Green professionals receive a foundation when they learn OLC best practices. 

Frank, myself & Chip

NOFA OLC founding Board Member Mike Nadeau of Plantscapes followed me with Site Assessment.  He shared the words of his mentor, “ The greatest pathogen to plants is the landscaper.” Reveared Soil Scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham (a.k.a., the Mother of Compost Tea) was in from the Rodale Institute to impart wisdom on soil fundamentals, biology & health.  She equated nature to a book that we must all learn how to read. “You got a problem, read the book!” She also suggested we OLCP’s,  “sweet talk clients away from turf.” And if we weren’t successful, Mister organic turf himself, Chip Osborne 

followed up to empower us with tools to transition turf to organics.  Chip echoed Dr. Ingham sentiments by stating, “The #1 goal is to improve soil quality.” 

Chip and I thought this
might be an interesting
dining experience

Suzanne Wainwright-Evans (a.k.a. The Bug Lady) shared a wealth of knowledge about our indespensible bretheren of the insect community. I wanted to bale on my mission driven OLC consulting, grant writing and social media marketing practice to be an entomologist!

Glen Abrams from the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) updated us on the city’s 25 year plan, GREEN CITY, CLEAN WATER, is the most progressive in the nation.  It focuses on protecting their watershed by managing stormwater with innovative green infrastructure. PWD’s sustainability initiative to broaden its green mission as well as comply with stricter environmental laws.  Clean water is no longer about putting water it in a pipe and transporting it to a municipal treatment facility.  Clean water is now about using pervious pavements, plants and soils the way Nature intended; to filter pathogens and clean water right where it lands.

There were other fabulous presentations like Frank Crandall who talked about the right plant right place principal, as well as the business side of things.  I know I’m missing so many others in this post so please forgive me.  You were great! Especially Jenna Messier & Kristiane Huber, for their hard work to make 2013 training in Pennsylvania invaluable for all who participated!

Program Director Jenna Messier and
Course Coordinator Kristiane Huber

Best of luck to new and, dare I say, old AOLCP’s in 2013!  Here’s to a game changing year for us all ;-)

Bernadette

NOFA AOLCP & Founder, Safeground Organic Landcare Consulting

beingiblin@gmail.com 

The Accreditation Course in Pennsylvania

Julie Snell (PHS) teaches about design of a large greenroof
in Philadelphia

The week of January 14-17 was the Accreditation Course in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS).  The course is now in it's 12th year, and what better way to celebrate than heading to a new city and a new region! The classroom was pretty full as land care professionals from Pennsylvania to Kentucky to Alabama to Massachusetts came together to learn about Organic Land Care Practices.  On the first day of the course the staff from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society brought us to a green roof PHS established on the roof of the Pennsylvania Energy Company (PECO) Building.

The class visits the PECO Green Roof - Notice how we are
"Changing The Game"!

A number of NOFA's long time instructors traveled to Pennsylvania to teach about the Standards and provide insight on the history of the Program.  Mike Nadeau of Plantscapes Inc. taught about Site Design, Mulches and Lawn Alternatives. AOLCP and Annual Gathering Speaker, Bernadette Giblin provided the overview of Organic Principles and Practices.  Chip Osborne, founder and owner of Osborne Organics taught the introduction to turf, turf pest management and a new four-hour track about turf care.  Frank Crandall of Frank Crandall's Horticultural Solutions and our Education Committee Chair taught about Planting and Plant Care and how to operate an organic business.

Julie Snell (PHS) introduces Altje Hoekstra to teach about
hydrology

We were delighted to be joined by Dr. Elaine Ingham, Chief Scientist and renowned soil microbiologist at the Rodale Institute to share her expertise on soil fundamentals, soil biology, fertility, compost and compost tea.  We were lucky to be joined by a number of experts from the Philadelphia area including Altje Hoekstra and Michele Adams of Meliora Design, LLC who taught about hydrology and storm water management, Glen Abrams from the Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds,  Scott Guiser from the Penn State Extension to teach about plant disease, Sarah Low from the USDA Forest Service to teach about invasive species and Suzanne Wainright-Evans, owner of Buglady Consulting. 

The class visits Logan Square, designed and maintained by

the  Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

On the last day of the course the group split into two for two separate 4 hour tracks. The first, taught by Chip Osborne was focused on turf care and maintenance and provided a detailed overview of establishing organic turf, fertilizers and amendments  maintenance, and how to create an organic turf management program for a property.  The second track was titled "Planting Considerations and Green Infrstructure in the Urban Environment" focused on planting considerations and green infrastructure.  Chris Woods, the Director of PHS’ Meadowbrook Farm taught about planting and placement of plants in urban areas.  Linda Walczak, a Program Manager at PHS and Michele Adams, Principal Engineer at Meliora Design taught about stormwater management case studies and examples of projects.  Nancy O’Donnell, a Director of Design at PHS led a site visit to Logan Square where PHS staff brought small groups around Logan Square to teach about the sustainable design of this beautiful public space.

A big thanks to all of our instructors, and to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Staff who were wonderful hosts, coordinators and instructors for the course! If all of this material looks interesting to you, you can sign up for the Accreditation Course in Connecticut! Even if you have to travel a ways we have a reduced block room rate to hopefully make it more affordable for you, visit www.organiclandcare.net/education/accreditation-course for more information!

Organic Lawn & Turf Day is January 11 in Massachusetts!

Cost: $95 NOFA members and AOLCPs; $105 non-members
The NOFA/Mass Organic Land Care Program is pleased to present this one-day intensive workshop on organic turf management.

The 2012 Organic Lawn and Turf Day begins with an overview of the cultural practices for establishing a successful organic turf system, and then moves into a more in-depth look at technical specifics of fertilization and product inputs. We will close out the day with a discussion of the direction of the organic lawn care market, and a Q&A with a panel of Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals currently offering lawn care services.
Speakers 

Chip Osborne is an AOLCP, the President of Osborne Organics and Chairman of the Marblehead, MA Recreation and Parks Department. Chip is one of the country’s leading experts on organic turf grass management. His current projects include consulting with the National Parks Service to pilot organic turf systems in 9 different parks. He serves on the Advisory Committee for the NOFA Organic Land Care Program and on as a board member for the non-profit organization, Beyond Pesticides.


Mary Owen is the Turf Program Coordinator for the UMASS Lawn and Turf Extension as well as a Turf Extension Specialist. She is a regular lecturer for the Green School, a founding member of the New England Sports Turf Managers Association, and an educational leader in both the Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals and the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation.

Fred Newcombe is an AOLCP and the President of PJC Ecological, an organic landscaping company- turned natural fertilizer supplier, where he oversees product research and development as well as providing consulting services and lectures on the topic of ecological land care. He is also a former Vice President of the NOFA/Mass Board of Directors.

Who Should Attend?

Municipal, Campus, and Grounds staff - Parks & Recreation personnel - Public Works staff - Elected officials - Landscaping company owners and employees

CEUs: 4 AOLCP Credits

Bernadette Giblin Looks Forward to the Annual Gathering

A special guest blog entry from Bernadette Giblin, NOFA-AOLCP & Founder, Safeground Landcare one of our Annual Gathering speakers!

I’m looking forward to the NOFA OLC 2012’s Annual Gathering entitled "Success with the Organic Land Care Market"

Rockaway, Queens, after Hurricane Sandy.

Like you, right about now I’m doing a professional year in review. The annual gathering always gives me some much needed inspiration which I’m typically running low on by now. Getting to hear all the gains made in the movement, the latest new strategies as well as reminders on the tried and true best practices is always reinvigorating. Aside from learning what colleagues are up to we all get to share our lessons learned from another growing season here on Planet Earth. Who would have thought there’d be a drought on Earth day and a Super Storm on the eve of Halloween capable of flooding NYC subways and leaving areas looking like a war zone?
In addition to Super Storms, there’s the ever changing nature of the growing season. Weather once typical in Maryland is now occurring in Massachusetts. There’s no better time to be a NOFA AOLCP. There’s no better time to gain the skill, knowledge and understanding to deal with the environmental changes that affect our ability to care for the land with integrity and professionalism.

I had the pleasure of working collaboratively with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) as the grant writer and consultant on The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) @ UMASS Lowell’s regional grant funded project. Creating Safeground: Transitioning 5 Parks in Western Massachusetts to a 100% Pesticide & Synthetic Free Organic Land Care Strategy

Here is a preview of the presentation on the five organic demonstrations in Western Massachusetts

The new vital stakeholders in your community

Effective outreach & marketing to build capacity

Kicking the synthetics

Create lasting health and safety in your local environment

Fear vs. Fun

Come to connect with old friends and network with new ones.

Get inspired and get ready for a successful 2013 organic land care season! 

Hope to see you December 5th in Sturbridge!

Registration is Open for the 2013 Accreditation Course

Registration is open for the Accreditation Course in Connecticut and in Pennsylvania!  This year we are having only one course in New England, in Norwich, CT.  Our second course will be in Philadelphia  PA bringing our program to the Mid-Atlantic States!

This year the course is four days long, but jam-packed with information!  We have adjusted the course based on the feedback from the first decade of accredited professionals.  The course is more condensed to save time for our attendees, the course content is focused on practical elements of organic land care, and the last day there will be two tracks of workshops allowing attendees to choose a horticulture or lawn-and-turf concentration.

The course is targeted at municipal, land care, farming, non-profit and environmental professionals who can benefit from a holistic education about the organic principles according to the thirteen year-old NOFA Standards in Organic Land Care incorporated as part of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement's International Family of Standards in 2011.

After taking the course, attendees can take the accreditation exam, which usually takes about an hour to complete.  A score of 70% or higher qualifies one for accreditation.  To learn more about the benefits of accreditation visit the About Accreditation page.  You can prep-pay for the accreditation exam and your accreditation when you register for the course.  There are now two levels of accreditation, the supporter level, mostly for non-profits and educators and the business level which provides marketing materials and collective advertising through out the Northeastern US.

Register for the February 11-14 Course in Connecticut now
Register for the January 14-17 Course in Pennsylvania now

A Successful OLC Business Workshop

On Friday, November 9, 2012, the NOFA Organic Land Care Program hosted its fourth advanced workshop, titled Business Essentials: Pricing and Marketing your Landscaping Services for Success. The half-day workshop was held at the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in Rockfall, CT. Frank Crandall of Frank Crandall Horticultural Solutions in Wakefield, Rhode Island began the first presentation about pricing and estimating organic versus conventional lawn care services.

Frank started out by reviewing the fundamentals of profitable estimates, and then went on to compare the pricing of organic, transitional, and conventional lawn care programs over a three year period. Frank was able to show from the three year comparison that:
a transition program can convert to fully organic after the second year
an organic program can approach traditional lawn care in cost in the third year and
all phases of the organic plan can be profitable with comprehensive estimating

One of the biggest concerns many land care professionals and clients have about organic land care is the idea that it more costly and less profitable than traditional land care. Frank's presentation argued that this isn't always the case, as long as land care professionals provide accurate estimating, and make sure to sell organic as a comprehensive program rather than the organic version of a 4-step program. Frank emphasized discussing expectations with clients before signing an agreement, to ensure that clients understand the differences in methodology between organic and conventional management. He also noted that it's easier to finalize contracts with clients that request organic services rather than trying to convert traditional customers.
Read the rest of the article on our website

If you are interested in organic marketing and messaging for your business or organization, check out the 2012 Annual Gathering, "Success with the Organic Market"

The 2012 Annual Gathering is going to be Great!

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.

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.

Storm Water Management

Thinking about stormwater management at home? Well, a great thing to consider is a rain collection system. Rain can be collected from rooftops and stored in barrels and reused to water your garden. An average amount of rainfall for one day can produce hundreds of gallons of water that just wash down your roof and out eventually to make into the local waterways.

Not only are rain barrels a good idea because they save you money on your water bill, but the environment benefits from their use. This is because water that washes off our roofs pick up pollutants like oil, and litter, and animal waste before reaching the local water way. By collecting the water we can prevent all those contaminates from entering the water ways.

Here is a guide for building your own rain water collection system:

Step 1: Cut a bucket to create the top of your rainwater tank

Step 2: Use your permanent marker and the top of the five gallon bucket and trace around the top of the 55 gallon / 210 liter drum.

 

Step 3: Spout it out 

Step 4: Add a gutter extension.

Step 5: Measure and mark where you need to cut the fitting so that the end will run into the top of your rainwater collection barrel. 

\

Step 6: Ensure a proper fit.

Step 7: Strain the drain

 

Step 8: Place a gutter strain in the gutter on your roof. 

For more detailed information on building this rain collection system visit, http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Rainwater-Collection-System.

For more information on rain collection systems in general visit,

http://www.stewardship.gatech.edu/potablewater.php

https://imageserv9.team-logic.com/mediaLibrary/198/How_toMakeaRainBarrelBrochure_Final_2.pdf

Blog Post by NOFA OLC's Fall Intern, Julia Rossi.

Learn Business Planning and Marketing from the Experts!

Join Horticultural Business Consultant, Frank Crandall and Advertising Design Consultant, Anne DiFrancesco for “Business Essentials: Pricing and Marketing Your Landscaping Services for Success” on Friday, November 9 from 9:00am to 1:00pm at 16 Meriden Road, in Middlefield, CT.  This workshop, hosted by the Organic Land Care Program of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, is for and land care business professionals seeking further guidance on business management and marketing. 

Frank Crandall owns Horticultural Solutions based in Wakefield, RI and has 38 years of experience running an award winning landscape design, construction and maintenance firm.    Crandall offers Growth, Effectiveness, Management (GEM) Seminars for professionals in the horticultural field each year and authored “The Essential Horticultural Business Handbook”.  Crandall will be teaching about business pricing, estimates and planning with a focus on pricing organic services.

Anne DiFrancesco is founder, owner and creative director of A&M Studios Inc., an advertising design studio in Westport, CT that serve clients with small and large businesses including Lipton Foods, Hoffman Landscapes and Pitney Bowes. DiFrancesco will instruct on the topics of branding, appearance in the marketplace, defining a target audience and design of print advertising, web design and tracking these marketing avenues.

The workshop will conclude with a panel including Crandall, DiFrancesco and Laurence Coronis, owner of Coronis Consulting in Wilton, New Hampshire, a horticultural consulting firm.  The panel will answer questions from audience members with business and marketing advice.  Attendees will also receive a packet of templates and forms to be personalized for use at each attendee’s business.   

The workshop will be held at 16 Meriden Road in Rockfall, CT at the Connecticut Forest and Park Association’s classroom.  The workshop cost is $80 for NOFA Accredited Organic Professionals and NOFA Members and $90 for the public.  For more information or to register visit organiclandcare.net /education/advanced-workshops or call the NOFA Organic Land Care Office at 203-888-5146.  The Organic Land Care Program hosts workshops, conferences and courses to educate organic landscapers  and homeowners in the northeast. 

Recap from Organic Land Care Program's Advanced Workshop "It's All About the Water"

Last week was NOFA Organic Land Care's Advanced Workshop  It's All About the Water: Managing Stormwater with Rain Gardens, Permeable Surfaces and Tree Boxes at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, CT.

The first presenter was Donald Watson, an Architect with Earthrise LLC and presented about a streamside buffer demonstration project he designed in Trumbull and about his work on the Beardsley Zoo's 319 Grant to put in biofiltration features in the parking lot.

Heather Crawford, a former Extension Educator with UConn Sea Grant gave a detailed overview of different kinds of non-point pollution that affect water courses and how low impact development (which combines design features that slow water runoff and filter out pollutants) can benefit water quality.  She also presented on the particular vulnerability of the Pequonnock River and the vital role that river's quality plays in the Long Island Sound's water quality.

Michael Dietz, the Program Director of CT NEMO taught the class about how to calculate runoff volume and amounts of pollution coming from an area.  Then Michael and Jeanne Yuckienuz, a Senior Keeper at the Zoo and Accredited Professional, brought the group outside to see the site of the proposed project.  The area around the flagpole will be excavated and a rain garden will be established that absorbs water as it flows from the parking lot.

After lunch Lisa and Kyle Turoczi from Earth Tones taught about choosing trees, shrubs, ground cover and flowers for rain gardens of all sizes and locations.  Afte rtheir presentation the group went outside and identified the plants grown in the Beardsley Zoo's existing three rain gardens surrounding the Hansen Education Center.

This third raingarden was planted with inkberry, cinammon fern, royal fern, low bush blueberry, and azalea.

Tom Barry, from Read Custom Soils presented on Engineered Soils for Low Impact Development.  Tom discussed the mixtures of soils required for rain gardens that will allow for water infiltration and percolation, sequester pollutants and support plant growth.  Soil underneath permeable pavement should be structural planting soil that can support a greater weight without compacting (which would reduce the amount of water that could infiltrate and the rate).  Tom also discussed the soils used on green roofs, which have to be very light while still allowing water to percolate and supporting plant life.  

The next presentation was from Brendan Tyson from unilock who presented on all the different kinds of pavements that can be used to provide a hard surface that still allows nearly natural rates of infiltration.  

The final presentation from Paul Iorio of Storm Tree and Stormwaterworks.com was about tree filters which are generally used in small parking lots in much the same way a storm drain is.  Except many tree boxes (except those receiving large volumes of run off) do not connect to an underground pipe, but filter through soil and the tree's roots.  

For the full report, visit the Organic Land Care Program's website.  You'll also be able to see some of the presentations and Low Impact Development resources.