USDA Initiatives Available to Urban Growers in New York
Kyle Karnuta, Urban Ag Curriculum Development Specialist
Harvest New York
In partnership with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Cornell Cooperative Extension's Harvest New York team hosted a free webinar in Spring 2024 to summarize key USDA initiatives available to urban growers in New York. The webinar is relevant to a diverse audience, including Cornell Cooperative Extension educators, urban growers, and USDA staff. The webinar recording provides an introduction to two United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies: the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as well as a summary of agency programs and initiatives that may benefit urban growers in New York. The webinar ends with a brief Q&A. Slides are available to download and include links to additional resources.
Presentation: FSA & NRCS Primer for Urban Agriculture (pdf; 5692KB)
- Download the PDF. Review 'Comments' (on a PC) or 'Highlights and Notes' (on a Mac) to see the full presentation notes.
Speaker Notes / Video Transcript: FSA & NRCS Primer for Urban Agriculture (pdf; 188KB)
Upcoming Events
Rochester Soil Health Day
September 1, 2026
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Rochester, NY
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY, New York State Soil Health, and Foodlink for interactive activities focused on soil health and an opportunity to get your garden soil screened for lead (reservation required).IPM Field Day for Urban Growers
September 10, 2026
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Buffalo, NY
Join us for a hands-on field day exploring integrated pest management and season extension tools for urban growing spaces and the opportunity to build community with local growers!This event will focus on best practices for using row covers and rat mitigation. Check out our CCE demonstration trial using insect exclusion netting to manage swede midge, an invasive fly that causes damage to brassica crops. Explore how to identify rat activity, reduce attractants, and strengthen site management. Hear from local growers on how they manage pests with a focus on organic management and how they extend the season on their farms and gardens.
Resilient Gardens Conference
September 18 - September 19, 2026
Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sat: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Poughkeepsie, NY
The third Resilient Gardens Conference will focus on culturally relevant gardening skills and community garden management for the unique resource needs of urban gardeners. This two-day event will feature education and practical skills on day one; we'll hear from leaders of diverse stakeholder groups on strategies to overcome these issues in cities and rural communities and connecting resources between Cornell Cooperative Extension and leading community gardens. The second day is optional and will include tours of local gardening projects across Poughkeepsie and Kingston NY. This event is primarily open to Seed to Supper Garden Educators, CCE Educators, Master Gardener Volunteers and Upstate Seed to Supper Program Participants, as well as partner Community Gardens involved with Harvest NY.