Soil Biology Field Day

June 28, 2023


Join Harvest NY's Urban Ag Specialists and special guests from the Cornell Soil Health Program and School of Integrative Plant Science for a hands-on afternoon all about life in the soil, from microbes to mollusks. We'll cover new research on the microbiomes of urban ag soils; pests, beneficial insects, and other arthropods in the soil; strategies to support healthy soil biology on urban farms; biological amendments, with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi demonstration; and a wine cap mushroom inoculation demo.

Agenda:

• Welcome & introductions
• Intro to New York Soil Health and Harlem Grown
• Basics of soil biology and pests & beneficials
• Soil management practices to support soil biology and amendments
• Wine cap mushroom inoculation demonstration

FREE! Reserve a spot now!

BQLT Monthly Gardener Gathering

November 1, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
East Elmhurst (Queens), NY

Please join us for our BQLT Monthly Gardener Gathering on Saturday, November 1 from11:00 AM-12:30 PM at McIntosh Neighborhood Garden in East Elmhurst, Queens. Come learn how this host garden has been addressing their complex lead/heavy metal soil test results by drawing from several free resources: Green Thumb, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and NYC's veterans' volunteer platoon, The Mission Continues. 

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.