Harvest of the Month Marketing Materials

Becky O'Connor, Farm to School Coordinator, WNY & Finger Lakes
Harvest New York

October 13, 2020
Harvest of the Month Marketing Materials

The Harvest of the Month posters, newsletters, and infographics were originally created for Buffalo Public Schools Farm to School program by a graphic designer to help highlight and promote the consumption of locally-grown, raised, and produced foods. Buffalo F2S team partner, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County, developed content for the newsletters and infographics. Buffalo Public Schools agreed to share the materials with any F2S program that would like to use them, and Harvest New York created generic versions of the materials which are available below for download. The materials can be edited and adapted for your district or program's use.  For questions, more information about editing and printing the materials, or for the Adobe InDesign files, please contact Becky O'Connor, Harvest New York's WNY Farm to Institution Coordinator.  

There are many ways to use the Harvest of the Month Materials to highlight and promote the consumption of local foods. In Buffalo Public Schools, posters are displayed inside cafeterias, or in the hallways leading to lunch rooms. Infographics are placed atop lunch tables, highlighting the Harvest of the Month menu item being served. Newsletters are shared with families and households via email or as printouts. The materials have been made available to teachers, who can use them in their classroom instruction. 

Special thanks to Buffalo Public Schools for sharing these resources; graphic designer Julian Montague for creating the materials; and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County's SNAP-Ed nutrition educators for developing newsletter and infographic content.





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How to Grow Edible Mushrooms on Logs

April 12, 2025
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Join Cornell's network of Community Mushroom Educators and the NYRP Urban Ag team to learn how to grow Shiitake mushrooms on logs. This hands-on workshop will include plenty of opportunity to practice drilling and filling logs with shiitake mushroom spawn. In addition to experiential learning, we'll explore the benefits of mushroom cultivation and tour the NYRP log yard, discussing best practices for maintaining a successful outdoor mushroom-growing system.

NOTE: THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. Waitlist registrations being accepted.

Compost Café: BioChar

April 16, 2025
12:00 noon EDT

At this virtual event, Karen Guzman, Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist, will discuss biochar in urban agriculture. Hear about the the history of biochar, explore some of its environmental benefits, and learn how this innovative solution can transform urban growing spaces. Learn how biochar can be used to creatively manage organic waste and enhance sustainability in your own community. 

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Community Gardens Soil Testing Program Accepting Applications

Soil testing supports the growth and expansion of community gardens by protecting the health and safety of the food produced in these gardens. CCE Harvest NY, in partnership with the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets (AGM) and the Cornell Soil Health Lab, is offering eligible, food-producing gardens in New York State the opportunity to send soil samples for testing without charge.

The soil test will analyze samples for heavy metals and nutrient levels. Test results help gardeners make appropriate plans to produce high quality fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Technical support and education for participating growers will be provided by the CCE Harvest New York team. Learn more about the 2025 Community Gardens Soil Testing Program.

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