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

Companion Planting in the Food Garden--with Mushrooms!

November 12, 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Brooklyn, NY

Companion planting (or intercropping) is an ancient method of increasing yields and maximizing growing space. Learn how to diversify your garden harvest while enjoying the mutual benefits of intercropping with mushrooms, such as improving soil health and water retention. Plan next spring's garden with guidance from Urban Agriculture Specialist Yolanda Gonzalez on growing three different types of mushrooms, from site selection to harvest. Take home a native plant to try!

NYC Mushroom Summit

December 5, 2025
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
New York, NY

The NYC Mushroom Summit, hosted by the Cornell Small Farms Program, will convene a regional network of mushroom farmers and educators from indoor, outdoor, and community production systems; restaurateurs, food creatives and chefs; and extension, government and industry representatives. This diverse group will work together to determine grower research and marketing needs, interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, and community building initiatives. Group conversations and presentations will be structured around value added products, frontiers in mycology research, and peer-to-peer learning.

Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101

December 13, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Cambria Heights, NY

Join us at Cambria Heights Community Garden for a free, hands-on workshop with CCE Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman. Participants will learn about basic tree maintenance and pruning techniques. Proper winter care helps trees conserve energy, prevent damage from cold weather, and prepare for growth in the spring.  

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.