Growing Mushrooms on Gardens and Farms

August 29, 2018


Please join us for an evening of fun-gi! Mushrooms are a wonderful crop to grow in the city, and can be incorporated into many existing growing systems to offer healthy, nutritious, and medicinal food to people and community. This workshop will offer gardeners and farmers of all sizes insight into a wide range of both outdoor and indoor growing methods for mushroom production. Anyone interested in learning more about basic mushroom cultivation techniques, starting a new enterprise, or considering commercial production at some scale are welcome to attend.

Steve Gabriel from Cornell Small Farm and CCE Harvest NY Urban Agriculture Specialists, Yolanda Gonzalez and Samuel Anderson, along with mushroom growers Jie Jin and Jan Mun will lead hands-on demonstrations throughout various "inoculation stations" and teach the basic principles necessary to start incorporating them into your existing gardening and farming practices.

Learn more about cultivation at: http://cornellmushrooms.org/factsheets

Where: La Finca Del Sur
When: Wednesday, August 29th, 2018 5:30-7:30pm
Fee: This class is FREE to the public.

Special Note: There will be a breakout session toward the end of the workshop for those interested in taking the next step in receiving additional training in mushroom production and participating in a community mushroom project. We want to hear your thoughts!!

How to Grow Edible Mushrooms on Logs

April 12, 2025
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Join Cornell's network of Community Mushroom Educators and the NYRP Urban Ag team to learn how to grow Shiitake mushrooms on logs. This hands-on workshop will include plenty of opportunity to practice drilling and filling logs with shiitake mushroom spawn. In addition to experiential learning, we'll explore the benefits of mushroom cultivation and tour the NYRP log yard, discussing best practices for maintaining a successful outdoor mushroom-growing system.

NOTE: THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. Waitlist registrations being accepted.

Growing Shiitake Mushrooms at Sunset Community Garden

April 13, 2025
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Queens, NY

Shiitake mushrooms and lion's mane mushrooms are delicious and easy to grow. It does take time. Join us at Sunset Community Garden (@sunsetgardenridgewood) where we will use the log inoculation method to grow these edible mushrooms!

Compost Café: BioChar

April 16, 2025
12:00 noon EDT

At this virtual event, Karen Guzman, Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist, will discuss biochar in urban agriculture. Hear about the the history of biochar, explore some of its environmental benefits, and learn how this innovative solution can transform urban growing spaces. Learn how biochar can be used to creatively manage organic waste and enhance sustainability in your own community. 

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.