Kwesi Joseph

Urban Gardens Specialist

cell 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.

Whole Farm Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (CAMP) Series

January 27 - February 17, 2026
Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Please join Ulster County CCE and CCE Harvest New York for a free four-part webinar and workshop series focused on building climate resilience on your farm. We will cover climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, learn how to access locally relevant historical climate data, and begin a climate adaptation plan or disaster preparedness plan for your farm.

By the end of the series, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to identify vulnerabilities in their operations, determine which strategies best address the issue, and secure funding to support project implementation. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) 2026

February 4, 2026
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
New York, NY

Join us for the 6th annual TUFFS! Every winter since 2021, the NYC urban farm community comes together for an afternoon of conversations and show-and-tell, an opportunity to see what other urban farmers have been working on, to ask questions, and to share what went well for you this year (and what didn't). It's also the biggest NYC CRAFT event of the year, a veritable who's-who of the city's urban farm scene, and a great place to connect with the only other people who really understand what it's like to farm in New York City.

This year's TUFFS is at Pace University, including a tour of the campus' farm project. 

Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)

February 22, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flushing, NY

Join us at Ridgewood 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. 

NOTE: This event was postponed from January 25 to February 22 due to the weather.