[compost_tea] NOFA Organic Land Care Course In CT and MA in Jan and Feb

From: chris reid <reidchris_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2003 10:30:04 -0500

The Third Annual Northeast Organic Farmers' Association course in organic
land care, aimed at professional landscaping profession, will be offered
again this year in Massachusetts and Connecticut in January and February.
Among the presenters will be Paul Wagner of SFI - New York on the soil food
web, Paul Sachs of North Country Organics on Compost, and Todd Harrington of
Harrington's Organicare on lawn care. For those of you who don't know Todd,
he is an SFI advisor who has used compost teas in his organic lawn care
business for a number of years and probably brews more tea in a week than
many of us who are in land care (big time folks excepted) brew in a year.

The course includes but is not fully focused on the above topics -- I just
put them first because I thought you'd be interested. It's taught by
university and ag extension/experiment station folks, as well as people who
work in organic landscaping. NOFA is the organization that put together the
first (that I know of) organic land care standards in the Northeast, a
booklet identifying recommended and prohibited land care practices that
specifically relate to landscaping. I was again reading it last night, and
it represents a mammoth amount of work on their part. The course focus I
would say is a science based approach to organic land care.

I took the CT course last year, and I can tell you, among the delights is
that the organic lunches they serve are amazing. It was also my first
exposure to organic black tea -- I thought it was quite good. Bill Duesing,
who is the CT NOFA coordinator, handles CT course administration and he is
hardworking, humble, cheerful, and always willing to listen. I am so
impressed with how he ran that show -- everything clean, on time, and
organized. Also, one of the things that he really conveys is a quiet respect
for everyone involved in the course, students and instructors. It works.
Many interesting people in the course, as well.

Since the time of taking the course, I have gotten involved in the NOFA land
care committee by attending their meetings, and I offered to post this
announcement on a Sunday because I thought some members might be interested.

Here's the course announcement:

The 3rd Annual Connecticut Course in
Organic Land Care for Professionals

Sponsored by the CT/Mass NOFA Organic Land Care Committee

This five-day Course will be held on February 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18, 2003
(with the 19th as a snow day) at the Jones Auditorium of the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. Instructors include
experienced organic land care professionals and respected scientists.

A $350 Course fee includes handouts and lunches.

This Course will qualify graduates to take the examination for NOFA
accreditation as an Organic Land Care professional. The examination and
accreditation programs require an additional fee.

WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE?
 FOLLOW THE LINKS FOR A COMPLETE SCHEDULE (
http://www.organiclandcare.net/calendar/009.php ) AND
REGISTRATION FORM
(http://www.organiclandcare.net/calendar/2003CTCourse.php).

The main website and Massachusetts course info are at
WWW.ORGANICLANDCARE.NET .

Past students in this course have included
€ landscapers from large and small firms in CT, MA, NY and ME
€ landscape architects,
€land trust and conservation property managers,
€garden center employees
€organic farmers and
€a high school horticulture teacher.

[And, for those of you who want to help put an organic gift in your town's
stocking.....]

NEW THIS YEAR --- REQUEST FROM NOFA CT Coordinator Bill Duesing:

This year we hope to attract town employees to help some Connecticut towns
transition away from chemical use in school and park landscapes.

NOA will be glad to send you course brochures for distribution to
landscapers,
town officials and others.

For more information, call 203-888-5146 or email bduesing_at_cs.com.



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Received on Sun Dec 14 2003 - 11:04:55 EST

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