News
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.
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.
2026 ELA Annual Conference & Eco-Marketplace
The Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) is excited to announce the 2026 Annual Conference & Eco-Marketplace to be held on February 4 & 5, 2026, in Providence, Rhode Island. The Annual Conference brings together leaders in ecological landscape practices with a diverse range of professionals involved in landcare, including landscape architects, designers, growers, horticulturists, land stewards, arborists, and installation/maintenance technicians.
CT NOFA Federal Grant Freeze and the Organic Land Care Program
In light of recent news from CT NOFA (the organization that founded and continues to administer OLC), we want to clarify the status of the OLC Program. The good news is that the Organic Land Care Program will continue to operate in 2025 with a minimum of disruption.
New Directions In The American Landscape (NDAL) Spring Virtual Education Series
New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) is offering a virtual education series this spring, aimed at land care professionals and home gardeners. This virtual course can be viewed live…
New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) Spring 2025 Professional Intensive Course
New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) is offering a professional intensive course this spring. This virtual course can be viewed live or as recordings. Join Landscape Designer Larry Weaner…
AOLCP Emeriti – Hugh Knowlton
One of the side effects of having such a long-standing program (founded in 1999, OLC is now 26 years old!) is getting to watch some of our AOLCPs transition into…
2024 OLC Program Year in Review
2024 was a busy year for the Organic Land Care Program. Our goals for the year were to improve benefits to and communication with our accredited professionals and strengthen partnerships…
OLC and ELA Announce a New Partnership
OLC is excited to announce a new partnership with the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA). Through this partnership, ELA is offering new AOLCPs 1 free year of Professional-level membership or a…
OLC Announces Emeriti Accreditation Level
The Organic Land Care Program is proud to announce the Emeriti accreditation level, a new accreditation level for retiring AOLCPs. Are you a long-standing AOLCP who is retiring (or has…
Compost Tea Workshop – July 20 in Ridgefield, CT
Join CT NOFA on July 20 in Ridgefield, CT as we explore how to make compost tea for various applications, and what that looks like under the microscope. Compost tea…
Our Gratitude to PJC Organic for Sponsoring the Organic Land Care Program
The Organic Land Care Program would like to acknowledge and thank PJC Organic for their generous sponsorship of our programming. Their support allows OLC to continue providing organic accreditation services…
OLC Program Director Featured on Keeping It Green Podcast
Organic Land Care Program Director, Jennifer Shaffer, was recently a guest on Keeping it Green, a podcast from Penn State extension that covers topics around ornamental plant beauty and functionality…
Enrollment Now Open for August Accreditation Course
Our next Online Accreditation Course begins in August. Enroll yourself or your team members now, while space is still available! The Online Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care is a…
OLC Partner, Maui Nui Resource Council, Graduates First Class of Reef-Friendly Landscapers
OLC’s Hawai’i-based education partner, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, ran their first Reef-Friendly Landscape training course, graduating seven participants in June. OLC staff worked closely with MNMRC as they modeled…
Organic Land Care Program 2024 Updates – Coming Soon!
2024 marks our program’s 25th year accrediting organic land care providers! Through the Standards for Organic Land Care, developed in 1999, our program defined “organic” for the landscapes where people…
Registration Now Open for Spring 2024 Online Accreditation Course
The next Organic Land Care Accreditation Course course will be available starting February 1, 2024. The self-paced format allows you to complete the course at your own pace, any time…
OLC Spotlight – Tell Us Your Landcare Story
We know how invested our Organic Land Care Practitioners are in the work they do, and we’d love to hear about what the work means to you. Do you have…
Registration Now Open for Fall 2023 Online Accreditation Course
The next Organic Land Care Accreditation Course course will be available starting September 1, 2023. The self-paced format allows you to complete the course at your own pace, any time…
AOLCP Survey Underway!
As part of an upcoming update to CT NOFA’s Organic Land Care Program, we’re asking our accredited land care professionals to fill out this survey. Let us know what parts…
MICHAEL NADEAU ANNOUNCED AS WINNER OF 5TH ANNUAL “BILL DUESING ORGANIC LIVING ON THE EARTH” AWARD
CT NOFA is proud to announce Michael Nadeau as the winner of the 5th annual Bill Duesing Organic Living on the Earth Award, to be presented during the 41st Winter…
DR. KIMBERLY STONER JOINS CT NOFA AS NEW DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY
CT NOFA is excited to announce that Dr. Kimberly Stoner will be joining our team as our new Director of Advocacy. Dr. Stoner recently retired as an Agricultural Scientist from…
CT NOFA Welcomes Jennifer Shaffer as Organic Land Care Program Director
CT NOFA is pleased to welcome Jennifer Shaffer as the new Director for the Organic Land Care Program. In her role, Jennifer will be developing new educational programming, managing the…
Connecticut Native Plant and Sustainable Landscaping Guide
UConn Extension Releases Native Plant and Sustainable Landscaping Guide (Repost from ELA) By Victoria Wallace and Alyssa Siegel-Miles Interest in native plants and sustainable landscaping has exploded over the…
NEW: Self-Paced Accreditation Course this August
Contact: Jeremy Pelletier, jeremy@ctnofa.org The NOFA Organic Land Care Program is making some exciting changes to the Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care. In the last year, our move…
How to Effectively Estalish Native Plant Plugs
Download this document to use as a reference when establishing Ecotype Project seedlings from one of our nursery and plant sale partners. How to Effectively Establish Native Plant Plugs See…
New Partners!
Wilton High School Joins in The Ecotype Project! This spring Wilton High School is planning to host a plant sale to benefit The Ecotype Project and their own intensive school…
The Ecotype Project
Starting in 2019, CT NOFA launched the Ecotype Project with the support for the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant – as a way of supporting habitat restoration and pollinator health…
The Standard for Organic Land Care now available in Spanish
Through funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Long Island Sound Futures Fund, the NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care are available in a digital format. If you would…