Life Cycles of the Segmented and Infamous @ the GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference

April 1, 2023


Do you have strong opinions about which bugs you like and don't like in your garden? Join Sam Anderson, CCE Urban Ag Specialist, and Saara Naticic of Red Hook Farms who also have strong opinions for an educational and participatory rant about some of the most interesting, wonderful, and despicable arthropods we encountered last year. Participants will learn how to identify some of the most important and/ or most mysterious arthropods of NYC farms and gardens, where to find them, their life cycles, and their predators (or prey). For the pests, we'll touch on ways to manage their presence, but the emphasis here is more about getting to know these helpful/unhelpful/ otherwise-interesting arthropods and understanding how they operate.

This session is part of the 39th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference. All activities are free and open to the public. Please REGISTER in advance!

No upcoming events at this time.

New Produce Auctions in NYS!

Two new produce auctions are now open in New York State, bringing the total number of auctions to 10! See the new map of produce auction locations across the state and contact information.

Community Gardens Soil Testing Program Accepting Applications

Soil testing supports the growth and expansion of community gardens by protecting the health and safety of the food produced in these gardens. CCE Harvest NY, in partnership with the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets (AGM) and the Cornell Soil Health Lab, is offering eligible, food-producing gardens in New York State the opportunity to send soil samples for testing without charge.

The soil test will analyze samples for heavy metals and nutrient levels. Test results help gardeners make appropriate plans to produce high quality fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Technical support and education for participating growers will be provided by the CCE Harvest New York team. Learn more about the 2025 Community Gardens Soil Testing Program.

New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series

Cornell Cooperative Extension has partnered with dozens of urban farms across New York State to demonstrate and evaluate sustainable pest management strategies. Together with farmers, we found success using control methods that prevent or reduce crop losses through exclusion strategies, crop timing, host resistance, the introduction of beneficial organisms, and more. Regardless of management strategy used, common requirements for success include a knowledge of the pest and disease complex, preventative deployment and commitment to the process. The New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series includes case studies highlighting pest management techniques that New York urban farms have found valuable.