Next Accreditation Course Begins in February
Enrollment for our February accreditation course is open ⏤ start 2026 as an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional! Click the button below to learn more about the accreditation process as well as the benefits associated with being an AOLCP.
Organic Land Care at Home
Home and land owners can make the switch from conventional to organic landscaping and just say “no” to the use of toxic chemicals and synthetic fertilizers, both of which can harm living systems. Learn more with our handy homeowner’s checklist for organic land care and the more detailed Introduction to Organic Lawns and Yards.
Organic land care is a sustainable ecological landscaping system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-site inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony and beauty in urban and suburban landscapes and gardens. Organic, in particular, means landscaping with no synthetic pesticides of any kind (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) and with no synthetic fertilizers or soil amendments.
New AOLCP Business Listing
We have a new Organic Land Care Guide and Map to help clients find your organic business. To have your business added to the map, you must fill out the new business listing.
Professional Accreditation
NOFA OLC trains professionals in organic land care practices and offers the credentials of Accredited Organic Land Care Professional (AOLCP) to individuals who complete training and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the organic land care approach defined by the Standards of Organic Land Care.
Continuing Education for AOLCPs
The Organic Land Care Program offers in-person and online workshops relevant to organic land care. Registration fees for workshops are waived for AOLCPs who have priority registration. AOLCPs looking to satisfy continuing education requirements may also look to many other organizations.
Find Organic Land Care Services
Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs) listed on our companion Organic Land Care Guide website site have satisfied all accreditation requirements with the NOFA Organic Land Care Program and adhere to the NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care when offering organic services.
Resources
Resources for professionals include high-level guidance for lawns, gardens and landscapes—including a directory of soil testing labs, a list of products in the Northeast consistent with the NOFA Standards, publications, and more.
Resources for homeowners include a searchable map to help you find an organic land professional, instructions on soil sampling, an organic lawns and yards guide, and more.
Become a Friend of the Organic Land Care Program
The Organic Land Care mission encompasses a range of services, such as regular updates to our Standards for Organic Land Care, revisions and additions to our land care accreditation courses, development of new partnerships, and more. If you believe that the growth of organic land care services - free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers - is important, and if you'd like to help support that mission, consider making a tax-deductible donation to become a Friend of the Organic Land Care Program!
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Latest News
2026 CT NOFA Winter Conference
CT NOFA’s 44th annual winter conference will be taking place March 7, 2026, at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. It will be proceeded by 3 days of virtual workshops, March 3-5. This year’s conference will include an Organic Land Care workshop track and AOLCPs will earn CEUs by attending the conference.
Today’s Horticulture 2026 Symposium
The Today’s Horticulture Symposium brings together a diverse group of professionals who will engage the audience with timely, thought-provoking topics relevant to the world of horticulture today.
Organized by a dedicated volunteer committee of alumni from Longwood Gardens’ Professional Horticulture Program, the event offers a full day of inspiration—from innovative design and current trends to policy impacts and industry insights.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with fellow horticulture enthusiasts and experts!
2026 Mad Gardeners Symposium
The Mad Gardeners 2026 Symposium will feature three terrific speakers: Lee Clippard, Executive Director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, will speak about the center, its native plant database and their research on wildflower meadows; Cassie Banning, the Director of Farm and Gardens at the Mt. Desert Land & Garden Preserve, will speak about the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, a 1920s collaborative design between Mrs. Rockefeller and Beatrix Farrand, and the over 160 annual varieties in its ten-thousand-square-foot border; and Madeline Hooper, creator and host of the public broadcasting series GardenFit, will lead a fun, interactive class on how to use your body to garden without causing aches and pains.