Relevance
Cornell Cooperative Extension's Urban Agriculture program provides support for urban agriculture education in all urban areas of New York State including the five boroughs of New York City. The major emphasis areas are: growing for market (we serve urban farmers through educational programming, technical assistance, and research), serving youth and families to grow food for direct consumption, and building community capacity for growing food.
The goals for the Urban Agriculture Programs include: including the promotion of innovative technology, pro-agriculture policy, increased nutritional outcomes and opportunities for all individuals and communities to engage in urban agriculture, fostering a more integrated and supportive urban agriculture system.
Goals also include:
- Improved access to capital and funding: The objective is to provide better access to capital and funding opportunities for urban agricultural initiatives, including grants, loans, and other financial resources, to support the development and expansion of urban farming projects.
- Promotion of community, physical, and social well-being: The objective is to recognize and promote the role of urban agriculture in enhancing community cohesion, physical health, and social well-being by creating opportunities for community engagement, improving access to fresh and nutritious food, and supporting active and healthy lifestyles.
- Adoption of supportive land use laws and regulations: The objective is to encourage the adoption of local land use laws and regulations that accommodate urban agriculture, including standardized regulation and zoning practices across the state, to remove obstacles and provide clarity for urban farmers.
- Improved land access and retention: The objective is to reduce obstacles to land access and retention for urban agricultural producers, including addressing issues related to land availability, affordability, tenure security, and urban development pressures.
Response
Leadership for Urban Agriculture Education is multifaceted. Our CCE Harvest NY Team plays a pivotal role. CCE hosts an Urban Agriculture Program Work Team (PWT) that helps encourage connections across the state and from counties and cities to Cornell and faculty. And there are staff working with and through the CCE Master Gardener Program, 4-H, and Food and Nutrition that are offering programs. Urban gardening crosses programmatic areas – connecting agriculture, horticulture, youth and families, nutrition, and consumer education.
Statewide activities include Harvest New York Urban Agriculture and Urban Garden Specialists, Urban Agriculture PWT, Small Farms Program, Master Gardener Volunteer Program, NYS IPM. Many programs share resources like Insects on NYC Farms Pocket Guide and Guide to Farming in New York State.
Program examples include:
Development of Demonstration/Trial Garden (CCE Chemung) Chemung County CCE relocated their horticulture demonstration garden to the fairgrounds, aiming for easier maintenance and educational accessibility. Volunteers assisted in moving specimen plants and constructing three raised beds for the Vegetable Variety Trials. This centralized location enhances garden upkeep and facilitates educational demonstrations, addressing the need for efficiency and accessibility. The initiative allows community members to observe and sample uncommon produce, fostering agricultural education and engagement.
A New Field Guide for the Unique Pests of NYC Vegetables (CCE Harvest NY Team) Urban farmers in New York City face unique insect pests, not covered in existing resources. To address this gap, Urban Agriculture Specialist Sam Anderson and Amara Dunn, with funding from the Toward Sustainability Foundation, created a tailored field guide, "Arthropod Pests of NYC Vegetables." Over 350 print copies have been distributed, with additional runs by organizations like Brooklyn Botanic Garden and NYC Parks Department's GreenThumb program. The guide focuses on common pests, their impact, and scouting techniques, providing valuable support to urban growers.
Seed Sowing Workshop at Brooklyn Grange (CCE Harvest NY) Urban gardeners participated in a seed sowing workshop at Brooklyn Grange, Sunset Park. They received free access to a commercial greenhouse, enabling optimal growth for their summer crops, especially in NYC's limited sunlight. Participants exchanged seeds, fostering diversity in locally grown heirloom vegetables. The workshop jump-started the growing season, saving participants money on seeds and space while increasing their crop output, notably from long-maturing tomato varieties.
South Lawn Farm Expansion Expands Community Impact (CCE Monroe) Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County continues its impactful work with the South Lawn Project (a four season urban agriculture project), addressing food insecurity in Rochester. With the region's highest percentage of food insecure households, the project provides education, fresh produce donations, and job readiness training. Expanded efforts include farm layout redesign, raised bed installation, and irrigation system implementation, resulting in a 30% increase in growing space. The GROWS program empowers unemployed youth, doubling food donations and fostering community engagement, with plans to expand to four contiguous vacant lots for further impact.
Serving Low-Income Nassau County Residents through Seed to Supper (CCE Nassau) Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs) serve Nassau County by sharing their expertise and enhancing community green spaces. Through a Cornell Garden-Based Learning mini-grant, CCE Nassau introduced the Seed to Supper program, teaching gardening skills to participants with limited resources. MGVs facilitated classes, expanding their skills and impacting communities positively. Collaborations with local organizations ensured program success and community engagement.
CCE Permaculture Learning Garden (CCE Stueben) Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County established the CCE Permaculture Learning Garden in Bath, NY, applying the Seven Layer Ecology principles to mimic natural ecosystems. The garden promotes sustainable landscaping, food cultivation, and native plant preservation. Utilizing various tree, shrub, and vine species, including natives like maple leaf viburnums and blue wood asters, the garden attracts pollinators and educates visitors on native plants' ecological importance. With over 1800 community visits annually, it serves as a local educational hub for sustainable practices and carbon sequestration.
Results
Urban Gardening Education program data for 2023 included:
296 underserved (minority and woman) commercial gardeners assisted
649 new gardeners assisted
163 participants reporting improved access to information on affordable, vacant lots
847 participants reporting skills and knowledge gains around planting, maintaining, and harvesting produce as a result of Extension interaction
483 community events were hosted centered on urban agriculture topics like IPM, conservation biocontrol, mushroom production, and veg/fruit production
11 community gardens were created
41 organizations partnered with Extension educators
3 brown spaces urban areas that have been identified as having the potential to grow food safely and abundantly
