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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.

June 2024

New York State Honeyberry Conference

June 29, 2024
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Mexico, NY

New York State Honeyberry Conference
Join CCE Oswego and CCE Harvest NY for a state-wide conference on a new emerging fruit called Honeyberry, also known as Haskap (Lonicera caerulea). Honeyberries are a dark blue color, like blueberries, but with a distinct oval shape. The taste is most associated with raspberry and blueberry, while also containing its own distinctive flavor. The fruit can grow in USDA Plant Hardiness zones 1 to 8 and can survive up to 30 years or longer if properly managed. What makes the fruit unique is that it ripens from the middle of June through early July. This allows the fruit to sit comfortably between the strawberry and blueberry season. When fully mature plants can produce 6 to 10 lbs. of berries, which can be eaten as a fresh fruit or made into value-added products.

The conference will cover the history of the fruit, best growing practices, processing, value-added production, and marketing. Guest speakers will include growers and researchers from the US and Canada, including Dr. Bob Bors from the University of Saskatchewan. Attendees will also be able to network and attend an optional farm tour immediately after the conference. 

Upcoming Events

Companion Planting in the Food Garden--with Mushrooms!

November 12, 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Brooklyn, NY

Companion planting (or intercropping) is an ancient method of increasing yields and maximizing growing space. Learn how to diversify your garden harvest while enjoying the mutual benefits of intercropping with mushrooms, such as improving soil health and water retention. Plan next spring's garden with guidance from Urban Agriculture Specialist Yolanda Gonzalez on growing three different types of mushrooms, from site selection to harvest. Take home a native plant to try!

NYC Mushroom Summit

December 5, 2025
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
New York, NY

The NYC Mushroom Summit, hosted by the Cornell Small Farms Program, will convene a regional network of mushroom farmers and educators from indoor, outdoor, and community production systems; restaurateurs, food creatives and chefs; and extension, government and industry representatives. This diverse group will work together to determine grower research and marketing needs, interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, and community building initiatives. Group conversations and presentations will be structured around value added products, frontiers in mycology research, and peer-to-peer learning.

Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101

December 13, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Cambria Heights, NY

Join us at Cambria Heights 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.  

Announcements

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.