2023 Spring Urban Agriculture Conference

May 6, 2023


Join us for a day of workshops (including a rain barrel workshop), panel discussions, and tabling by local organizations and businesses. The keynote speaker is Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm (with ASL interpreter). CCE Monroe County Master Gardeners will be conducting complimentary soil testing (texture/pH) for those interested. All individuals, groups, and skill levels are welcome!

Rochester's Urban Ag Conference welcomes an experienced panel of five experts, including CCE Harvest NY's Urban Community Gardens Specialist Makela Elvy, to discuss issues such as environmental justice and racial equity, and how those topics relate to the urban growing scene and beyond. The panel will be moderated by Nathaniel Mich, executive director of Taproot Collective, following and corresponding to the keynote presentation from Leah Penniman.

Lunch will be provided; vegetarian options included. Rochester On the Move will be on-site for childcare (children ages 10 years and up only).

COST
Pay what you can, $1-20; no one will be turned away.

HOSTS
CCE Harvest NY, CCE Monroe County, Foodlink, and the City of Rochester

Urban Farming from the Ground Up

August 10, 2026
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Bronx, NY

Join CCE Harvest NY Specialist Karen Guzman to turn a community center into an urban farm! This is an open volunteer event.

Rochester Soil Health Day

September 1, 2026
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Rochester, NY

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY, New York State Soil Health, and Foodlink for interactive activities focused on soil health and an opportunity to get your garden soil screened for lead (reservation required).

IPM Field Day for Urban Growers

September 10, 2026
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Buffalo, NY

Join us for a hands-on field day exploring integrated pest management and season extension tools for urban growing spaces and the opportunity to build community with local growers!

This event will focus on best practices for using row covers and rat mitigation. Check out our CCE demonstration trial using insect exclusion netting to manage swede midge, an invasive fly that causes damage to brassica crops. Explore how to identify rat activity, reduce attractants, and strengthen site management. Hear from local growers on how they manage pests with a focus on organic management and how they extend the season on their farms and gardens.