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March 2024

MWBE Women's Month Celebration

March 8 - March 9, 2024
Fri, March 8 (1pm - 4pm); Sat, March 9 (12pm - 4pm)
Auburn, NY

MWBE Women's Month Celebration
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, in collaboration with Harvest NY and Taste NY, presents the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises Women's Month Celebration. This 2-day event aims to foster collaboration, equity, and innovation for farm and food businesses through networking and promoting local food procurement. Buyers, and New York businesses and vendors are invited to attend free workshops and showcase their products. This event is complementary for all attendees!

Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Coffee Hour

March 12, 2024
10:00 am - 11:00 am (NOTE: The time of the event has been updated.)
Ithaca, NY

Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Coffee Hour
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and Harvest NY for a coffee hour to learn about the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) program. An overview of the MWBE program will be provided by Precious Tshabalala, Food Systems Specialist with Harvest NY. Her focus is on distribution, procurement, diversification, access to new markets, and promotion of local foods. Precious will answer questions about how MWBE businesses can benefit from these programs. This coffee hour event will provide an informal setting for MWBE businesses to network and connect with Precious to discuss strategies and resources for farm and food MWBEs seeking to navigate state contracting. (NOTE: This program has been updated.)

April 2024

FSA and NRCS Urban Agriculture Primer

April 15, 2024
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

FSA and NRCS Urban Agriculture Primer
Join us online for a FSA and NRCS Urban Agriculture Primer on Monday, April 15th from 1-2:30 PM. Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Farm Service Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, this meeting will provide an explanation of which FSA and NRCS programs may be most relevant for urban growers in New York State. 

Log Inoculation Party

April 28, 2024
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
New York, NY

Log Inoculation Party
Join us for a log inoculation party and Community Mushroom Educator (CME) reunion at the Randall's Island Urban Farm with past and prospective CMEs. We will be inoculating local tree species with shiitake and oyster spawn as part of a larger research project with the Randall's Island Park Alliance Urban Farm and Cornell Cooperative Extension. 

May 2024

Urban Berry Project: Growing Strawberries 101

May 29, 2024
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Urban Berry Project: Growing Strawberries 101
Join Makela Elvy, Anya Osatuke, and Dan Olmstead from Cornell University, along with the NYRP Urban Ag team, for a deep dive into everything strawberry! For beginning gardeners and advanced growers alike, this hands-on workshop will include an introduction to some of the preferred NYC-loving varieties, as well as a chance to plant out a new bed of strawberries in the Riley-Levin Demonstration Garden. SPACE is LIMITED! Registration is required.

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Upcoming Events

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.

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. 

Announcements

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.

NYS Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment

As part of a multi-year project exploring non-spray pest management options that are economically and environmentally sustainable for urban farms, we conducted a needs assessment with urban growers across New York State. The New York State Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment presents findings on current pest management practices, challenges, and topics of future interest.