Contact: Clara Buitrago, NOFA Organic Land Care Program Accreditation Manager
(203) 888-5146 or clara@organiclandcare.net
Henniiker, NH – Organic landscaping services are now available from local landscaper, Denise Rico of Terra Design Landscapes.
We are pleased to announce that Denise Rico is among nearly 200 new Organic Land Care Professionals throughout the Northeast and beyond, accredited by the NOFA Organic Land Care Program, a project of the Northeast Organic Farming Association.
Terra Design Landscapes has been in business for 11 years providing landscape design/installation and maintenance services. They will now integrate organic techniques into the installation and maintenance of properties where clients request organic land care.
To become NOFA Accredited, landscape professionals complete an intensive five-day course in organic land care taught by highly experienced scientists and leaders in the “green” industry, and passed the NOFA Accreditation Exam. The newly accredited professionals swell the ranks of NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals to over 500, providing service in 21 states. Over 2,000 have been educated since the course’s inception in 2002.
Highly skilled at practicing organic methods of landscape design, installation and maintenance, these professionals pledge to provide service according to the NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care, to clients who ask for organic land care. First published in 1999, the NOFA Standards were the first of its kind and are widely recognized as the source for appropriate organic landscaping techniques.
NOFA’s unique Accreditation Program offers networking, marketing and speaking opportunities for professionals who pass the accreditation exam on the last day of the course. The NOFA Five-Day Accreditation Courses are held annually in January and February in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island and attract landscape designers, landscapers from large and small firms, state and municipal employees, school groundskeepers, garden and nursery center owners and staff, professors, entrepreneurs and students.
NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs) are listed in the fully searchable, online directory, “AOLCP Search,” located at www.organiclandcare.net.
The NOFA Organic Land Care Program was founded in 1999 to extend the vision and principles of organic agriculture to the landscapes where people spend their daily lives. In addition to the five-day accreditation course, it also offers a variety of advanced hands-on, in-depth workshops annually. Past workshops have included compost tea, organic invasives removal and advanced pruning techniques. The program also hosts the one-day, comprehensive, NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course, geared towards professional landscapers, municipal employees and anyone interested in growing healthy turfgrass organically.
The demand for organic landscaping services is increasing rapidly, driven by consumer concerns and regulatory pressures, including state legislation. The course curriculum – covering all topics of organic land care -- is especially important today as more people become aware of the danger that synthetic pesticides and fertilizers pose to biodiversity, water quality and ecosystem health.
To find a NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional near you, visit www.organiclandcare.net and click on “AOLCP Search” or call the NOFA Organic Land Care Program office to request a copy of the NOFA Guide to Organic Land Care, listing professionals, at (203) 888-5146. For more information, visit www.organiclandcare.net.