Mashantucket Pequot Museum
N.O.F.A. Annual Gathering 2019
“Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.”
As a NOFA Certified Accredited Land Care Professional that are certain requirements I must meet to maintain and adhere to the NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care Certification. One of these is completing ongoing education by attending a minimum of 4 (four) credit hours of Organic Landscaping Education. This year I had the opportunity to attend the day long event – NOFA Annual Gathering of Land Care Professionals, held at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum located in Mashantucket, Ct.
What an excellent choice for a venue location. Native peoples have continuously occupied Mashantucket in Southeastern Connecticut for over 10,000 years. It is one of the oldest, continuously occupied Indian reservations in North America. The Pequots were farming people practicing sustainability within their territory. Their gardens were planted primarily with maize (corn), beans, and squash. We call these plants The Three Sisters, because they are compatible, like members of a family. The climbing green beans are planted close to the maize and use the stalks for support. Planted between the tall mounds of maize and beans are squash plants, whose broad leaves create shade that slows weed growth.Pequot women harvested corn, squash and beans and also gathered nuts and fruit to eat.Â
Organic Land Care Agenda
The conference began with Registration, Coffee, and Networking from 9 am thru 10 am followed by a 1/2 hour introduction and Organic Land Care Updates and a meet and greet of the New N.O.F.A. Executive Director, Dina Brewster. The agenda below lists the four one hour long seminars presented during this annual gathering.
Simple Steps to a Safe and Healthy Lawn and GardenÂ
with Dr. Sarah Evans of Mt. Sinai
2020 Native Plant Initiative: Introducing Connecticut’s First Living Seed Bank
with Dina Brewster & Sefra Alexandra of NOFA
and Matt Oricchio of Gilberties Organic Nursery
and Daryl Newman of Planters Choice Nursery
Designing Biodiversity: Local Strategies for Pollinator Habitat Creation and Connectivity
with Evan Abramson of Landscape Interactions
Meadow Installations: A Practical Field Guide for Landscapers
with Emily May of Xerces Society
At Lincoln Landscaping cultivating the environment is our life and livelihood. It is our number one goal to help our clients create and maintain beautiful landscapes while reducing the impact on the environment. Whether you are interested in a pollinator landscape garden design and build or other landscaping or property management project; we can create for you an environmentally friendly, organic and beautiful property.
For additional information about the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Culture you can visit the Pequot Museum and view or download an extensive pdf file relative to their history and culture.
Lincoln Landscaping “The Natural Choice”
Mike Kolenut President & CEO
https://lincolnlandscapinginc.com
(201) 848-9699