
Kwesi Joseph
Urban Gardens Specialistcell 718-809-2781
email Kwesi
Areas of Interest
project management, garden design, rock dust, biochar, soil health and plant nutrient density
Kwesi Joseph helps communities across New York City's five boroughs grow healthy food and care for urban green spaces. With Cornell Cooperative Extension's Harvest New York team, he works with community gardeners, urban farmers, and educators to improve soil health, increase plant nutrient density, and tackle challenges in vegetable production.
Kwesi works with natural processes like soil remineralization, no-till gardening, and carbon sequestration. He conducted a trial using rock dust to boost soil fertility and carbon sequestration, and is developing a biochar project with Cornell faculty and community gardeners.
A Master Composter since 2016, Kwesi spent six years as the Compost Manager at the Hattie Carthan Community Garden in Brooklyn, where he ran workshops, processed food scraps, and trained volunteers. He has partnered with the Action Research Collaborative (ARC), Cornell University Cooperative Extension (CUCE), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), Cornell's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to expand gardening, nutrition education, and land use projects for families in transitional housing and underserved neighborhoods.
His work has appeared on NY1, The Weather Channel, and WNYC Radio, and been covered by Gothamist and the Queens Ledger.
Kwesi holds a B.S. in Geology from York College, The City University of New York, an Executive MBA from Cornell's Johnson School of Business, and a Master Composter Certificate from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Compost Project.
Upcoming Events
Intercropping with Mushrooms
October 14, 2025
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poughkeepsie, NY
Join us for an afternoon of hands-on learning at Pershing Community Farm, led by Urban Agriculture Specialist Yolanda Gonzalez.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.