USDA Initiatives Available to Urban Growers in New York

Kyle Karnuta, Urban Ag Curriculum Development Specialist
Harvest New York

April 17, 2024
USDA Initiatives Available to Urban Growers in 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)


view calendar of events

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events at this time.

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.

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.