Resilient Gardens Symposium

August 10, 2024


Cornell Garden-Based Learning team, CCE Harvest NY, and New York State Seed to Supper are excited to announce that we will be hosting a one-day Resilient Gardens Symposium in New York City focused on culturally relevant gardening skills adapted to climate change for the unique resource needs of urban gardeners. The day's focus will be on addressing barriers for beginning gardeners most affected by post-pandemic food insecurity, hearing from leaders on innovative ways to overcome these issues in cities and connecting resources between Cornell Cooperative Extension and leading community gardens. 

The symposium will have many invited guests from the NYC area community gardens as well as Seed to Supper participants, volunteers, and coordinators. We will hear talks from several community garden leaders on topics relevant to garden education, community gardening and Seed to Supper goals such as:

Our Keynote: DK Kinard - "Cultivating Resilience: Building Solidarity Through Community Connections & Collective Relationships"

• Perl Egendorf, Professor, Pace University- "Adventures in Composting - Stories and Science from the City"
• Corey Blant, Director of Urban Agriculture, New York Restoration Project - "Accessibility in Gardens"
• Alexis Luna, Will Thomson & Chit Yee Ng, Share Shed NYC - "Growing & Strengthening Sharing Networks Amongst NYC Urban Growers"
• Kwesi Joseph, Urban Garden Specialist, Harvest New York - "Mental Health and Healing in Community Gardening"

The Symposium will host talks from CCE specialists on topics relevant to urban gardeners including:

• Mark Bridgen, Professor, Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center - "Plant Propagation for Community Gardens",
• Sam Anderson, Urban Agriculture Specialist, Harvest New York - "Garden Pests in a Changing Climate"
• Carla Crim, Subject Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension Delaware County - "Integrating Cut Flowers in Community Gardens"
• Jody L. Gangloff-Kaufmann, Senior Extension Associate, NYS Integrated Pest Management - "Urban Pests"

And, there will be garden tours to Harlem Community Gardens!

Group A: Harlem Walking Tour (40 minutes of walking to and from sites):

• Garden of Love: Leader, Sade Boyewa El, 302-304 W 116th St, New York, NY
• St. Nicholas Miracle Garden: Leader, Judi Desire, 330 St. Nicholas Ave, New York, NY
• 127th Youth Garden + Market: Leader, Judi Desire, 77 W. 127th St., New York, NY

Whole Farm Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (CAMP) Series

January 27 - February 17, 2026
Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Please join Ulster County CCE and CCE Harvest New York for a free four-part webinar and workshop series focused on building climate resilience on your farm. We will cover climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, learn how to access locally relevant historical climate data, and begin a climate adaptation plan or disaster preparedness plan for your farm.

By the end of the series, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to identify vulnerabilities in their operations, determine which strategies best address the issue, and secure funding to support project implementation. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) 2026

February 4, 2026
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
New York, NY

Join us for the 6th annual TUFFS! Every winter since 2021, the NYC urban farm community comes together for an afternoon of conversations and show-and-tell, an opportunity to see what other urban farmers have been working on, to ask questions, and to share what went well for you this year (and what didn't). It's also the biggest NYC CRAFT event of the year, a veritable who's-who of the city's urban farm scene, and a great place to connect with the only other people who really understand what it's like to farm in New York City.

This year's TUFFS is at Pace University, including a tour of the campus' farm project. 

Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)

February 22, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flushing, NY

Join us at Ridgewood 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. 

NOTE: This event was postponed from January 25 to February 22 due to the weather.

2025 Year in Review

2025 was another year of growth and accomplishment for CCE Harvest NY! Our 2025 Year in Review highlights our impacts and details our work.