CRAFT Tour: Growing and Cooking Asian Vegetables

September 29, 2022


Have you ever wondered what the difference between all the "Asian greens" are? Seed catalogs tend to lump them all together but each one is distinct and unique in its own way. The tour at Choy Division will look at various greens, the cultures they belong to, and what culinary qualities are desirable when growing for an Asian community. We will touch lightly on general growing information, but the primary focus of our tour will be on how to select and harvest the variety of crops for different Asian communities. At the end of our farm tour, there will be an opportunity to taste these greens cooked using the Chinese method, hotpot.

Choy Division, founded in 2020 by Christina Chan, is a 1.25 acre diversified farm that focuses on growing east Asian heritage crops for the Asian American community. The farm offers a CSA and wholesale, and grows for food pantries, as well. Choy Division participates in a mutual aid program that invites community members to glean produce that is donated to Asian elders in NYC.

This will be a multilingual event, with live interpretation provided by the Hudson Valley Language Justice Collective. 

Transportation to the event is available if you RSVP by September 23. Email Yolanda Gonzalez to request transportation.

EVENT REGISTRATION: Register now to attend the CRAFT Tour.

2025 Agroforestry Field Day Series -- Agroforestry Implementation and Management

October 23, 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Highland, NY

Interested in incorporating agroforestry practices into your farm? Join us for a series of workshops co-hosted by CCE Ulster, Orange, and Harvest NY with Mastwood Farms, Black Creek Farm and Nursery and Scenic Hudson. 

On October 23, we'll return to Erik Schellenberg's farm, Black Creek Farm and Nursery, for a Fall tour of their agroforestry plantings. Erik will talk about harvesting and managing plantings while we see some seasonal crops and installations of different ages and types. There will be time for questions and discussion as we wrap up the series. covered.

Soil Health 101 for Community Gardens -- A Bilingual Workshop

October 24, 2025
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Staten Island, NY

Join Urban Agriculture Specialists, Karen Guzman and Yolanda Gonzalez, as they discuss the importance of soil health and testing your soil as you prepare for the incoming growing season. They will go into strategies for best practices when it comes to soil health management and highlight the current soil testing program through NYSDAM and CCE. This workshop will be in both Spanish and English.

Biochar 101 for Community Gardens (Upper Manhattan)

October 25, 2025
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Join Karen Guzman and Dr. Rebecca Nelson of Cornell University, Bill Hilgendorf of White Feather Farm, and the NYRP Urban Ag team for a deep dive into biochar as a tool for waste management, carbon storage, and soil health in a community garden context. During this hands-on workshop, participants will have the chance to make biochar using garden waste and learn about best practices when applying it to a garden bed. Workshop attendees will all receive a small amount of biochar to take back to their garden.

Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

New Produce Auctions in NYS!

With the opening of the new Augusta Produce Auction on August 19th, New York State now has 11 produce auctions! See the new map of produce auction locations across the state and contact information.

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.