Sign Up Now To Get Accredited In 2026
Enrollment is now open for accreditation courses beginning in August and November, 2026. 2027 course information coming soon. Click the button below to learn more about accreditation and AOLCP benefits.
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
The Native Plant Society of New Jersey Annual Meeting
Ecological disruption is no longer abstract or remote. It is unfolding daily in our yards, parks, and landscapes, manifesting itself in storms of unprecedented intensity that alter forests overnight and diseases spreading rapidly through degraded habitats. Traditional landscape management methods—rigid, manicured, and heavily dependent on constant intervention—have proven insufficient to respond to the pace and scale of change. This symposium directly engages with these evolving conditions, bringing together three distinct yet complementary perspectives rooted in ecological landscape design, infectious disease ecology, and arboretum management and horticulture.
Urban Tree Symposium: Beneath the Canopy: Roots, Soil, and City Life
New England Botanic Garden’s annual Urban Tree Symposium is dedicated to exploring the importance of urban forests and ways we can improve our green spaces. Each symposium brings together experts in the fields of forestry, horticulture, biology, technology and more. You can expect to hear current and important information that will impact your work in our communities and your own home. The Urban Tree Symposium is geared towards current and aspiring professionals, studentsand tree enthusiasts.
NOFA Vermont’s Winter Conference to Feature Full-Day Organic Land Care Introduction
We’re excited to announce that Michael Nadeau (an original contributor to the Standards for Organic Land Care, founding member of the Organic Land Care Program, and OLC course instructor) and Trevor Smith will be presenting The New OLC Paradigm: Organic Land Care in a Changing Climate at NOFA Vermont’s 44th Annual Winter Conference, February 14-15.