Certified Turfgrass Professional Short Course

CTP Short Course

Registration is now open for the 12th annual Certified Turfgrass Professional Short Course.  The link to the course is included here:  2016 CTP Short Course.   Please note this year's location in Haywood County.  We try to rotate the course throughout the region to allow more access to the training.  

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Excessive Rainfall Affects Preemergent Herbicides

by Travis Gannon, Matt Jeffries, and Fred Yelverton

November 5, 2015

A preemergent herbicide application is an effective, commonly performed practice for annual weed control in many established turfgrass systems.  As the name suggests, a preemergent application should be made prior to germination, which in North Carolina is no later than mid-September for winter annual weed control.  While preemergent herbicide labels typically state irrigation/rainfall is required for herbicide activation, they probably did not mean quite as much as our state received in late September through early October.  The State Climate Office of North Carolina reported September 28, 2015 to October 4, 2015 was the seventh wettest (i.e. most accumulated rain) seven-day period in North Carolina dating back to 1895.  So what effect, if any, did the cumulative rain have on a preemergent application made prior to the rain setting in?  That depends on numerous factors that are covered in the following paragraph, but ultimately scenarios may unfold where preemergent herbicides move laterally across, or downward in the soil which may compromise weed control later during the season. 

The potential for adverse impacts on your preemergent application prior to prolonged periods of saturated soils caused by heavy rainfalls can be broken into three camps:

1. Site specific information
• Preemergent herbicide movement potential increases as:
• Soil texture coarseness increases (i.e. increasing sand content)
• Soil organic matter decreases
• Slope increases
• Turfgrass cover decreases
2. Herbicide applied
• Most notable properties pertain to soil/organic matter binding affinity.  Herbicides with lower binding affinities are more prone to move from the intended site.
• General binding affinity ranking for common PREs is (from least to highest):

Simazine = Atrazine < Indaziflam < Dithiopyr < Oxadiazon < Pendimethalin = Prodiamine

1. Time between application and excessive rainfall onset
• This is not so much from a calendar day-count perspective, but the number of soil wet-dry cycles.  The more cycles that occur between preemergent application and excessive rainfall, the more likely the herbicide is to be bound to the soil, which should reduce its potential to move laterally or downward via water flow.

So you think you may have a problem, but not sure?  Unfortunately, only time will tell as the season progresses but if breaks occur, additional weed control measures can be taken to compensate.  Monitoring historically weedy areas, as well as areas with conditions conducive for preemergence herbicide movement and weed encroachment (ex. upper portion of a south facing slope with marginal turfgrass coverage) should provide an early indicate for an herbicide break; however, a postemergent herbicide will be required at this point.  Further, depending on when the break occurs, tank-mixing a preemergent herbicide (at a reduced rate) with your postemergent herbicide may be needed to maintain adequate control until spring preemergence applications are made.  Another option to assess preemergence remaining and being able to potentially avoid applying a postemergent herbicide is pulling a few soil cores over time from both areas you expect your preemergent moved from, and moved to (i.e. upslope areas where movement may have occurred and downslope areas where products may have concentrated) and complete a bioassay. Once pulled, pot the plugs up and seed a sensitive plant species such as perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) on the surface.  If germination varies between areas cores were pulled, this MAY be an indication to expect reduced preemergent efficacy and one should consider an additional application at a reduced rate in the areas with anticipated weed control concerns.  Always read and follow product label directions.

http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/alerts/weeds/excessive-rainfall-affects-preemergent-herbicides

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

IPM Symposium at the NC Arboretum

TODAY

is the last day for early-bird registration for the 

IPM Symposium 

Get registered today, and join us on 

October 1st, 2015 at the NC Arboretum.

Pesticide credits for NC, SC, and TN are available.

For all the information and to register, click HERE!

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

2016 WNC AgOptions grant application cycle!

WNC AgOptions will be offering $3000 and $6000 cost-share grants to individual farm businesses, this includes green industry operations!

The application is now available for download on the WNC AgOptions website. 

Click Here

Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

September  2015: Outreach to farmers 
WNC AgOptions has scheduled regional application workshops throughout the West District to reach as many potential applicants as possible. We find that applicants who attend these sessions have an easier time completing the application and submit higher quality applications. Please encourage any farmer who is interested in applying for an AgOptions grant to attend one of these meetings. More details on the sessions will be available soon on the AgOptions website. So far, here are the workshops:

Jackson County Extension Center (Sylva): Thursday, September 10th (time TBD)

Watauga County Extension Center (Boone): Tuesday, September 22nd (time TBD)

Caldwell County Extension Center (Lenoir): Tuesday, September 29th (5:30-7:00 p.m.)

Cherokee County Extension Center (Murphy): Date TBD

Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center (Mills River): Date TBD

October 16, 2015: Intent to apply deadline 
Interested applicants should contact their County Ag Agent by this date to set up an appointment to discuss their project.

November 13, 2015: Applications due (must be post-marked by this date)

November 30/December 01, 2015: Application review days. 
Review locations will be in Asheville and Marshall.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Horticulture IPM Symposium

Horticulture IPM Symposium 2015

Mark you calendars for October 1 and plan to attend the areas premier Horticulture Symposium.  Pesticide Credits are available for licensees in both Carolina's and Tennessee.   Landscape Contractor CEUs have been applied for and a short press release will be shared as soon as they have been approved.   Please read the attached links:

IPM Symposium Press Release

Registration Form and Agenda




For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Landscape Contractor Continuing Education Credits

CEUs for Landscape Contractors

A question keeps coming up regarding classes to get the 7 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or hours to keep your NC Landscape Contractor's License.   I have been in contact with the Executive Director of the NCLCLB to address this issue and here's the answer:

" The continuing education committee is diligently working on the process to approve courses that will qualify for credits toward the Landscape Contractors’ License.  While that process is still being finalized, I do expect we will have something, hopefully by the end of this month."

What is the time frame for credits to be received: 

"To be eligible to renew, licensed landscape contractors will need to have obtained seven (7) credit hours from August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2016.  .......  the renewal period relative to continuing education is an Anniversary date relative to the license valid date."

So anyone acquiring a new license now that the grandfathering period is over (and it was entirely over on August 1st 2015, 11 days ago)  will have a year until their Anniversary date to obtain the 7 hours. 

While we are still unsure about the process of getting classes qualified for credits, it does not appear that it will be long before that has been resolved and I don't personally expect there to be a problem with most of our existing classes qualifying for CEUs  so don't panic you will have several opportunities between now and next July 31st to get your credits.

One opportunity that did not get proper publicity as the credits were granted literally at the last minute will be the Summer Green Road Show starting tomorrow in Hickory.  I'm not clear on the actual number of hours granted for each event but it appears that attendance on both days could get you most of the required hours.  Got to the bottom of this page and click on Brochure to get more information.  https://ncnla.memberclicks.net/summer-green-road-show-attendee-information

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Wrong Plant, Wrong Place

About a month ago, I was at the local Verizon store in Hendersonville and watch a crew with a local Landscape Contracting company unload and install this hedge of Leyland Cypress.  The soil (if I dare to even call the substrate that) was hard, compacted and likely sterile.  The plants were in 5-6' tall in 7 gallon containers.  The crew had been instructed by someone (I chose to mind my own business and not ask) to plant them on 5' centers 3' from the wall and 2' from the side walk. 90% of this area is under an overhanging canopy.  This is what the hedge looks like today.  There's no evidence of any follow-up watering or other care.  Honestly, Leyland Cypress is  the wrong plant for this wrong site and my observation, unfortunately, was that the crew were not trained to properly prepare the site and install the plants.   I don't expect to get a call from the Verizon store wanting to know why their plants are dying but I regularly do for similar installations.   While Leyland Cypress are known to get a "grocery list" of pathogens, managing for these pathogens is pointless if the plants are in the wrong location.  Unfortunately, none of the diseases are manageable; post infection and the one or two pathogens  that could be prevented with fungicides aren't likely to be managed by sprays on the average clients budget.    They need extra helpings of most of the resources that plants need to survive:  Light- Too much shade is death to a Leyland Cypress even from adjacent plants in a hedge;  Water- Leyland Cypress aren't reliably drought tolerant so they need to be monitored to keep their roots moist but not saturated and their foliage slightly on the dry side; Nutrients- Maintain an evenly balance fertilizer program, with adequate micro-nutrients and a pH of 6.5; Space-  Leyland Cypress need around 20' of spacing on all sides to avoid overcrowding and over competition from other plants.   Keep in mind these trees came from parent plants that originate in rugged areas of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.  The climate there is quite different than that found here in the Southeast and while they can perform fairly well here if they are pampered, their lifespan is typically shortened by  climatic stress particularly when used in the wrong place.

This kind of work reflects negatively on the business that installed the trees as well as the landscape industry as a whole.  We can and must rise above the practices involved with this poor quality work and work together to improve all of our levels of understanding about Right Plant for the Right Place!

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Bio-energy Field Da

Bio-energy Field Day Registration

Check out and consider attending this educational field day:

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-bioenergy-field-day-tickets-17304013771


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Commercial Pesticide Licenses/Schools

Pesticide License 

In the last few months I have encountered quite a number of new landscapers that needed information about controlling pests in the landscapes that they manage.  Unfortunately,  many of them lacked the commercial pesticide license required to spray the products that I recommended.  This note is just a reminder that a NC Pesticide License in one or more category is required if you are going to apply any kind of pest management tool for compensation to the property of another.  This means that if you apply products including Roundup (Glyphosate),  Insecticidal Soap,  Hot Pepper Spray, or Restricted Use Products, as part of your day to day activities as a landscaper/gardener that you must be licensed by the state of NC to do so.  (There are NO Exceptions!. We have 2 opportunities coming up this summer for classes to prepare you or your employees to take the exams that are required.  These two dates are:

August 4th and 5th at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center- Waynesville

September  9th and 10th at the Mountain Horticulture Research and Extension Center-Mills River 

For additional information and registration see the red colored links on this website:

http://www.ncagr.gov/SPCAP/pesticides/license.htm

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pesticide Training for the Green Industry

Thursday, July 23, 2013, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Henderson County Cooperative Extension Office

100 Jackson Park Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792

Pesticide Safety in the Nursery & Landscape

&

Top 10 Reasons to Use PPE

This class is geared toward green industry professionals seeking education hours for their North Carolina Pesticide Applicator’s License.

***Two hours credit will be offered for subclasses L, N, O, D & X. ***

Please bring your current NC Pesticide license.

There will be a $5 materials fee collected at the door.

Please call 697-4891 or e-mail Ivy_Olson@ncsu.edu to register or for more information.

Horticulture IPM Symposium

Horticulture IPM Symposium

Registration for the 5th annual Horticulture IPM Symposium is now open at the following link:

Horticulture IPM Symposium.  

 This program is the result of a collaboration between The  NC Arboretum and NC Cooperative Extension.  There will be pesticide credits in various categories from both Carolinas and Tennessee.  

As the program will fill up rapidly be sure to register early!!  

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

New Pest Infesting Yellow Poplars

Check out these posts from my colleague and our Ornamental Entomologist; Dr. Steven Frank:

http://ecoipm.org/2015/06/26/yellow-poplar-weevil-outbreak-in-some-mountain-areas/


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Asheville Carolina Canopy Training Opportunity

“SRT (Single Rope Technique) Climbing for Tree Workers”

June 26th, 2015
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
                   

This will be a day long workshop (with lunch provided) covering the basics as well as the mechanics, safety elements, and some more advanced concepts used in SRT climbing.

Instructors:

Kevin Bingham, Singing Tree in Detroit (inventor of the Rope Wrench and Rope Runner)
Nich Maidment, Asheville Arborists
Andrew Wagner, Asheville Arborists

Topics covered:
History
Tree climbing Tools
Terminology
DRT vs SRT Advantages of each Differences
Tie in methods Basal and canopy anchors
Ascent techniques
Work positioning
Redirects
Redundancies
Tree route planning
Safety



 ISA Certified Arborists may receive up to 6.5 education credits. SAF education credits have been applied for.

Click Here for workshop details and online registration.

Protecting Pollinators in Ornamental Landscapes Conference

Protecting Pollinators in Ornamental Landscapes Conference–REGISTRATION OPEN

A lot of talk and concern has been going on about protecting pollinators from bees to butterflies.  Some discussion has already be made in the recent news about the use of Neonic- insecticides.  This conference is one you don't want to miss.  Get your registration in by July 1 for a whopping $60 savings.  There are limited seats and growing more limited as the days pass.  Since it is at the Kanuga Conference Center between Brevard and Hendersonville-  it is practically in the back door of most of you receiving this blog.   For those of you out side of the WNC region,  the timing is close to being perfect for leaf color on the Blue Ridge Parkway and a long weekend.  

Link to Registration materials- below:

Ornamental Pollinators Conference

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Job Opening

Landscape Gardener Position Open

Brevard landscape company seeks a landscape gardener who enjoys working on a team and meeting with clients. Knowledge of proper planting, pruning, and disease identification required. NC pesticide license preferred. Some light mowing, trimming and blowing should be expected. Must be able to lift 50 lbs as needed. Applicants should have valid driver's license, clean driving and criminal background checks, and dependable transportation.  Full-time, $12 per hour and up based on skill level.    Contact Charlie Landreth at  clandreth@35-n.com  35-N Landscape Services



For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Landscape Management Wworkshop

Landscape Management Workshop

This will be the 5th year that we have offered the Landscape Management Workshop with direct hands-on involvement in site evaluation that has helped attendees in the past learn how to make collaborative assessments of landscape sites.  If you have not had a chance in the past to attend this is your opportunity.  If attendance is like the last few classes we have offered this year it will fill up quickly.  As with most of our classes (that include lab activities) space is limited.  So I urge you to print the registration form off and get it back in ASAP.  The workshop is on April 24th in Jackson Park!


http://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Landscape-Management-2015.pdf



For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Commercial Pesticide School

Commercial Pesticide School

Just a reminder, if you or a staff member need to obtain a pesticide license then you need to get registered for the next class NOW.  The next class and exam in Western North Carolina is April 14th and 15th.  Follow the link below to register and buy books on-line;

http://www.ncagr.gov/SPCAP/pesticides/exam.htm



For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Job Postings

LANDSCAPE JOB POSTING

35° North Landscape Services is seeking applicants for the following positions. To apply, visit www.35-n.com, select CONTACT at the top right, then click APPLY.

Grounds Management Crew Leader

Experienced (2 year minimum) grounds maintenance crew leader skilled in customer relations, crew leadership, turf disease and plant identification, pruning, and safe operation of zero turn mowers and small engine equipment, Valid drivers license and good driving record required. NC pesticide license preferred. Full time. 40 hours a week. Pay based on experience.

Gardening Crew Leader

Experienced (2 year minimum) garden maintenance crew leader skilled in customer relations, crew leadership, plant and disease identification, pruning, and safe operation of landscape equipment. Valid drivers license and good driving record required. NC pesticide license required. Full time. 40 hours a week. Pay based on experience.

Office Manager

Full service landscape company seeks office manager to implement new procedures and systems. At least 2 years of previous office experience required. Applicants must have working knowledge  of business software including Quickbooks, basic HR and accounting skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to work independently and with consistent and accuracy. Part-time or Full-time. 

Shop Foreman

Part-time shop foreman to perform preventative maintenance for trucks and commercial landscape equipment such as mowers, blowers, trimmers, and other 2-cycle equipment. Duties include ensuring all equipment and trucks are prepared for daily production and maintaining a clean and well-organized shop of equipment, tools and supplies.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

WNC Turfgrass Conference

Turf Conference

Whether you manage turf at a golf course, on a soccer field, or in a home lawn, this conference is one that you do not want to miss:  Go to the following link to register:

WNC Turfgrass Conference

We have had limited seating in the past so be sure to get registered early. If you wait to register on site there may not be any room left.

For all of you that are members on the Turfgrass Council of NC be sure to register with this code for the discount that you qualify for: TCNC2015

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pruning Program

Pruning Program Announced

The WNC Green has announced a pruning program dubbed Pruning as an IPM Tool for the region.  This half day workshop will be held on March 20th at the NC Arboretum and participants will be able to view a pre-class power-point before coming to class.  Participants needing pesticide credits will be glad to know that 2 hours of credits will be awarded for the class.  ISA credits are pending and expected to be given as well.  

See the attached flier!    

Green Industry Pruning Flier

Gate fees at the Arboretum have been waived but parking is limited. You will be directed to park at the production greenhouse.  Please dress according to the weather and bring your own hand tools. Water will be provided.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

NC Landcape Contractor's Licensing Law

NC Landscape Contractor's Licensing Law- Some Questions Answered!

Many of you have gotten letters from the NC Landscape Contractor's Licensing Board regarding the new law.  If so perhaps the letter has raised questions.  The following link is to site that will answer some of those questions:  http://nclclb.com/licensing-2/licensing/.

Questions that you as a pesticide applicator may have that may not be answered in the above web site include:

• Q-  If I am a licensed pesticide applicator do I need to become a Licensed Landscape Contractor?
• A- No, not necessarily!  Many pesticide applicators are employed by another entity- landscape company, public agency, golf course, or other establishment.  If so there's no legal reason for you to become a Licensed Landscape Contractor.  As indicated in the legal language of the new law,  only those individuals/landscape companies that perform landscape work where the price of all contracts on a given site exceed $30,000 for any consecutive 12 month period of time.

• Q- Do I need to take an exam?  
• A-  Right now if you qualify to be grandfathered in,  the answer is no.  If you fail to follow through with the grandfathering process before August 1 of this year, or did not meet the criteria required at the end of December 2014 then yes if you wish to become a Licensed Landscape Contractor you will need to take a series of exams.  No new exams will be held until after August of 2015.  The new training manual and exams are due to come out sometime this summer.  Visit the following site to see if you qualify to be "Grandfathered" in: http://nclclb.com/licensing-2/license-application/

• Q-  There's been discussion of continuing education being required. Will there be classes offered nearby or will I need to travel to Raleigh or Charlotte to get these credits?
• A-  Yes, there is a requirement of Licensed Landscape Contractor's to obtain 7 hours of  CEUs- (Continuing Education Units).  Currently, team of NC State faculty, (including extension agent), industry professionals, and community college instructors are working to develop a list of approved classes and content for obtaining CEUs or credits.   These should be readily available regionally through your local Cooperative Extension Center, an area Community College, or on-line.   If you have been maintaining credits on your pesticide licenses, chances are that you have had classes that would have met the criteria of the new license. 

• Q- My business only manages small landscape accounts and never installs landscaping at the $30,000 level; should I get the license?  
• A-  While you are not legally required to get the license and would likely be exempt- see this site to determine exemption:   http://nclclb.com/faq-hold/exemptions/  getting the license under the currently "Grandfathering" period will allow you to bid on projects that require the license and help you avoid taking the exam at a later date.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the  Commercial Horticulture Agent.  You may also send your questions to licensing@nclclb.com

Job Opening at the NC Arboretum

Job Opening

The NC Arboretum has a seasonal position opening.  Please visit the following site for more information:

http://www.ncarboretum.org/assets/File/PDFs/Employment/TNCA05_Grounds_Worker.pdf


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Potential Bermudagrass Sod Shortages in 2015

Kerrie here... We might be in Western North Carolina, but I know many of you work with clients that have or could potentially utilize some warm-season grasses. Check out the latest information from NC State:

Grady Miller, Turfgrass Extension Specialist

In recent discussions with North Carolina sod growers it was apparent that there will be a significant shortage of bermudagrass sod this winter and spring. With good growing conditions the growers may be able to catch up in early to mid-summer.

Why shortages when just five years ago inventory levels were relatively high? There have been multiple factors involved. There was already reduced sod acreage following the downturn in the economy. The increase in construction over the last year and a rapid switch to a preference for bermudagrass by builders has contributed to the shortage. Add to that the poor summer growing conditions (prolonged springs and limited light) for warm-season grasses the last two years and the result is a depleted supply of bermudagrass.

The recent sod survey from GA indicates that they have a similar supply shortfall. (http://www.caes.uga.edu/applications/gafaces/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4996) Sod growers in the southeast suggest this shortage is universal across the region.

What does this mean? All growers, regardless of size and location, will not have adequate bermudagrass sod to meet the demand. This will likely result in an increase in bermudagrass sod cost. In some cases, if sod must be installed during this period, the buyer may have to select an alternative grass.

NC State University is currently surveying the NC Sod industry to get a better estimate of sod supply in 2015 for all the grasses.

For a complete list of NC Sod Producer Association member growers and sod types visit: www.ncsod.org

ORIGINAL POST: http://turffiles.ncsu.edu/Alerts.aspx#005640

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Ag Breakfast

Please join us at the next Friends of Agriculture Breakfast, to be held on February 17th at 7:00 a.m.  Our guest speaker will be Ila Hatter, wild crafter, interpretive naturalist, storyteller, folklorist and North Carolina treasure. She is an author, a publisher, and renowned resource for anyone interested in the utility of the native plants of the Southern Appalachians.  Ila will be sharing some of her plant wisdomand cultural gems that have been garnered over 25 years of teaching and field experience.  The breakfast is held at the WNC Ag Center in Mills River and will begin at 7:00 a.m.am

See the flier on the following link:

Ag Breakfast Flier

If you're interested in attending please RSVP to Meghan Baker at

meghan_baker@ncsu.edu.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

job opening

Landscape Crew Position:

Full-time landscaping position available at large retirement community in South Asheville. General skills required- mowing, pruning, pesticide and fertilizer applications, etc. Certified Plant Professional and N.C. pesticide license preferred. Apply in person at Deerfield Retirement Community, 1617 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC, 28803.   828.274.1531 *3245

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

National Safety Council First Aid Course

First Aid Course

We will be partnering with the NC Department of Labor to offer a First Aid, CPR and AED course on February 17th from 9:00 A.M.  until 5:00 p.m.  The course is in our shared classroom a the Cooperative Extension Office in Buncombe County. (94 Coxe Avenue Asheville)  The class is open to 15 people only and I have 5 already pre-registered so the next 10 that contact me can enroll.  

MSHA and OSHA require that a person on every mine or jobsite be capable of performing basic first aid in the event of an emergency.  This class will meet the requirements for both federal regulatory agencies (MSHA and OSHA).  However, it is not just about being compliant.  You will learn skills to provide care for life threatening and non-life threatening situations, so you can also care for loved ones, neighbors and others along with co-workers. 

This is a National Safety Council course and is provided by an experienced instructor.  The class will consist of classroom and hands-on training.  The course agenda is as follows: 

1.     How to act in an emergency

2.     Preventing disease transmission

3.     Checking the victim

4.     Basic life support

5.     Recovery position

6.     Chocking

7.     Heart attack and chest pain

8.     Bleeding and wound care

9.     Shock

1    Burns

1    Bone, joint and muscle injuries

1    Sudden illness

1    Allergic reactions

1    Poisoning

1    Cold and heat emergencies

1   Moving a victim.

The complete course will take between 6 and 8 hours depending on individuals retention skills.  You will be provided with National Safety Council materials (book and DVD) for you to keep and share with family members.  Upon satisfactory completion of the course you will also be provided with a certificate, including a pocket card, for First Aid, CPR and AED.  You must at least complete the First Aid requirements before continuing with CPR and AED.

Remember this contains the hands-on portion on the use of dressing and bandaging, and also CPR, which requires that you must be able to get in the floor to practice skills of CPR. 

The cost for this class is nothing.  This is provided through the NCDOL as part of a State Grants program regarding compliance with required regulatory requirements.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.