Makela Elvy

Urban Garden Leadership Curriculum Specialist

cell 347-804-5820
email Makela

Areas of Interest
NYC community garden leadership, soil health, and composting

After completing 2 years as an Urban Garden Specialist with Harvest NY, supporting gardens in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, Makela now is serving the team as an Urban Garden Leadership Curriculum Specialist. A native New Yorker, Makela attended DePauw University, Indiana majoring in Environmental Geoscience, and has her MS from Concordia University - Portland in Curriculum and Instruction. Makela has been involved in a number of environmental experiences in NYC, including being the Compost Outreach Coordinator at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on Staten Island. In her new role, Makela works directly with NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets to create and implement a curriculum aimed at increasing leadership skills of community gardeners across NYS.

No upcoming events at this time.

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.