GI-BMP Certification Training – Last Call for the Fall

When: November 17, 2011
Where: UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension Service   5339 CR 579  Seffner, FL
Information and Registration: http://gibmpcertification20110505.eventbrite.com/

CEUs Confirmed: 2 Core, 2 O&T, 2 Private, 2 Comm L&O, 2 Ltd Comm LS Main, 4 FNGLA

Join me next Thursday, Novemebr 17 from 8:30 am -4:30 pm for the last GI-BMP training class at Hillsborough County Extension this year.

Surprise guest speaker will address the NEW City of Tampa Fertilizer Ordinance.

This is also a good opportunity to get some end of year CEUs.

This workshop provides training and opportunity for certification in Best Management Practices for those working in the lawn, landscape, pest control, or municipal grounds maintenance industries. GI-BMPs are focused on reducing non point source pollution, particularly of water resources. Hillsborough County Fertilizer Use and Landscape Maintenance Rule requires all commercial fertilizer applicators and their supervisors, and government and institutional landscape fertilizer applicators to complete the GI-BMP training program by July 2011. Other Florida Counties may have similar rules.

Flood Insurance in the Dry Season???

Now that we are in our relatively dry season, I received some interesting information from FEMA about flood insurance and businesses. I though I’d share this to help you in business planning for the upcoming year.

1. One quarter of all flood claims come from areas from low to moderate risk areas.
2. Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the U.S.
3. 25% of businesses that close their doors during a disaster never reopen.
4. In 2008, the average paid commercial flood claim was more than $85,000, a burden you shoulder without flood insurance.
5. The three rules of business: location, location, location.

For more information on the National Flood Insurance Program:

FloodSmart.gov/location

Benefits of Record Keeping

Most of you already know that if you apply general or restricted use pesticides you are required to keep records. Besides the requirement to keep records there are benefits to you to do so:

1. Exemption from pesticide contamination liability – If you keep records of all your pesticide use (general and restricted use products), and you have used pesticides legally, you may be exempt from proceedings by FDEP to recover costs associated with damages, assessment, evaluation, or remediation of pesticide contaminated property. Records must be kept indefinitely.

2. Evaluate effectiveness of controls – Use your records to analyze what works and what doesn’t. Compare pesticides with other control measures.

3. Resolve pesticide failures – If reduced pesticide product performance occurs, having records will help you determine the cause such as pest resistance or use of wrong application rate.

4. Improve your ability to buy the right amount of pesticide – You’ll save money and eliminate excess pesticide disposal problems.

5. Improve plant rotation decisions – With records you can determine when it’s best to consider alternate plant options.

6. Determine carryover injury – If plants exhibit pesticide injury, records will help evaluate the situation.

7. Document your legal use – Records are your best defense if you are accused of an improper application that causes drift, personal injury, or other problems.

8. Provide necessary information in a medical emergency – If an accident or pesticide exposure occurs, records may be necessary for medical personnel to give treatment.

9. Support studies that identify critical pesticide registrations – Through surveys, your records can contribute data needed to preserve pesticide registrations.

10. Be prepared for requirements of lending institutions – Some lending institutions and buyers request records to evaluate potential environmental liability when making land sales or loans.

11. You knew it was coming – Be in compliance with the law

The Suncoast Trail

I thought I’d share a weekend story with you. Sunday I had the opportunity to bike 27 of 41 miles of the West Central Suncoast Trail with friends and friends of friends. This was the first time I’ve bicycled on Florida’s West Central Trail system and my first somewhat long ride in over a year. We all felt quite prepared with our water, Gatorade, snacks, toolkits, spare tubes, helmets, and gloves, so off we went. It was a fantastic ride until one of our group got a flat and the tube had to be changed. This tube changing became a group effort as first we determined that the spare tube was the wrong size and then found that it was probably a valve problem and not a flat. Oh, did I tell you that it was the rear tire, so we had to figure out how to remove the chain from the rear derailleur to remove the tire. Eventually, we put the old tube back in the tire, re-inflated it and attempted to reassemble what we had taken apart. After about ten unsuccessful minutes, we flagged another biker down, who in about 10 seconds showed us how to properly reassemble the tire and derailluer. He probably thought we were a collective group of idiots, our hands covered in grease while his remained virtually clean. We then had a conversation about how our local bike shop offers classes on repairing flats and basic bicycle repairs and how we could all benefit from such a class considering the alternative is a very long walk back to the parking area.

I share this because it reminded me of my role in Extension, to share industry resources and training, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting lives & the environment. It’s very common in our busy lives to think that we are adequately prepared or just don’t have time for refreshing or learning new stuff, until…

I hope to see you in the near future and next year taking advantage of the many opportunities Extension has to offer…or maybe I’ll see you in a basic bicycle repair class before my next somewhat long ride.

The Great Southern Tree Conference

The 2010 Great Southern Tree Conference will take place December 2-3 at the University of Florida in Gainesville. To take advantage of the special hotel rates at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center reservations need to be booked by this Wednesday October 27.

Celebrating its 10th year of outdoor hands-on approach to learning, the conference is devoted to tree selection, landscape, production, landscape establishment, marketing, and management issues in the Southern US and designed to allow attendees to clearly focus on their bottom-line business advancements. Attendees will see the latest applied research projects and receive up-to-date information on advances in tree production, installation and management techniques.

For more information:

www.greatsoutherntreeconference.org

Green Industries Best Management Practices Educational Program

When: November 3, 2010
Where: Polk County Extension Service, Bartow, FL
Information: Check the calendar page at http://polksmallfarms.com
CEUs Confirmed: 2 Core, 2 O&T, 2 Private, 2 Comm L&O, 2 Ltd Comm LS Main, 4 FNGLA

This workshop provides training and opportunity for certification in Best Management Practices for those working in the lawn, landscape, pest control, or municipal grounds maintenance industries. GI-BMPs are focused on reducing non point source pollution, particularly of water resources. Hillsborough County Fertilizer Use and Landscape Maintenance Rule requires all commercial fertilizer applicators and their supervisors, and government and institutional landscape fertilizer applicators to complete the GI-BMP training program by July 2011. Other Florida Counties may have similar rules.

EPA Reveals New Label Initiatives

From Chemically Speaking, September 2010

EPA is inviting organizations to work with the Agency to conduct a “User Acceptance Pilot” to research the extent to which pesticide users would accept a system requiring them to obtain labeling via the internet. The Agency believes that web-distributed labeling has the potential to improve compliance with labeled use instructions by making pesticide labels easier to read and comprehend. This labeling would accomplish this, in part, by providing instructions for the location and intended use that the user specifies online. If this system is implemented, the expected result would be faster access to new pesticide uses, quicker implementation of public health and environmental protective measures, and lower costs for industry and EPA. The goal is to have all User Acceptance Pilot websites ready for users to test by October 15, 2010. For more information, see:

http://www.eps.gov/pesticides/regulating/labels/distribution/