Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY – The Alachua County Extension Office is pleased to announce the following Commercial Horticulture Programs for March 2012.  Aparna Gazula, Commercial Horticulture Agent, offers these programs.  All of these programs are held at the Extension Office (2800 NE 39th Avenue, Gainesville).

Becoming a Hobby Beekeeper Short Course – March 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Explore the world of honeybees and steps to becoming a beekeeper at the “Becoming a Hobby Beekeeper Short Course.”  This course will allow the participants to receive a complete perspective of the process and expense involved with keeping honey bees as a hobby or alternative farm enterprise.  It should allow the participant to decide if this is something they want to do. For others, it offers an excellent opportunity to learn about this useful, often misunderstood insect so important to our food supply. Topics included are: bee equipment and how to set up a hive, packaged bees & queens and sources for help, installing bees and how to get them off to a good start, honeybee pests, the Africanized honeybee, honey collection and extraction techniques.

Cost $10 includes lunch.

Green Industries Best Management Practices – March 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This workshop is designed to provide training in Best Management Practices for anyone working in the lawn, landscape, pest control, or municipal grounds areas. This is a required training class for all commercial and institutional fertilizer applicators in Alachua County according to the Alachua County Fertilizer Standards and Management Practices Code.

A “Commercial Fertilizer Applicator” means any person who applies fertilizer on turf and/or landscape plants in Alachua County in exchange for money, goods, services or other valuable consideration.

An “Institutional Fertilizer Applicator” means any person, other than a non-commercial or commercial applicator (unless such definitions also apply under the circumstances), that applies fertilizer for the purpose of maintaining turf and/or landscape plants. Institutional applicators shall include, but shall not be limited to, owners and managers of public lands, schools, parks, religious institutions, utilities, industrial or business sites and any residential properties maintained in condominium and/or common ownership.

Best Management Practices are focused on reducing non-point source pollution resulting from fertilization or pesticide application.  In some areas, you need to be certified in the BMPs to be able to bid on jobs or have commercial customers.  It will be mandatory throughout the state in the near future.  Stay a step ahead of the new requirements.

·         Earn CEUs for pesticide license holders.  For CEUs, get form signed before you leave

·         (2) CORE, (2) Ornamental & Turf, Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance categories

Cost $25.00 includes materials and lunch.

Register for these classes by calling 352-337-6209 (voicemail). For more information about these programs call 352-955-2402.  Visit http://alachua.ifas.ufl.edu/calendar.shtml for additional programs offered by the Extension Office.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.

Persons with disabilities needing special accommodate should contact the Extension Office at least 10 working days prior to the event so that special consideration can be given to the request.