NYC Agricultural Soil Survey
Sam Anderson, Urban Agriculture Specialist
Harvest New York
Last Modified: February 10, 2020
In order to better understand the unique soils used in New York City's urban farms, Cornell Cooperative Extension's (CCE) urban agriculture program launched the NYC Survey of Agricultural Soils in 2018. After obtaining soil and plant tissue analysis from ten urban farms in NYC, we are expanding the survey in 2019 with the goal of informing best management practices for unique productive urban soils. See the links below for preliminary findings and more information.
For questions about the soil survey, please contact Sam Anderson.
Soil Nutrient Testing for NYC Urban Farmers (pdf; 268KB)
NYC Agricultural Soil Survey - Notes from 2018 (pdf; 135KB)
Upcoming Events
Urban Farming from the Ground Up
August 10, 2026
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Bronx, NY
Join CCE Harvest NY Specialist Karen Guzman to turn a community center into an urban farm! This is an open volunteer event.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.