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)


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Upcoming Events

Biochar 101 for Community Gardens (Bronx)

October 26, 2025
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Bronx, NY

Join Karen Guzman and Dr. Rebecca Nelson of Cornell University, alongside the NYRP Urban Ag team for a deep dive into biochar as a tool for waste management, carbon storage, and soil health in a community garden context. During this hands-on workshop, participants will have the chance to make biochar using garden waste and learn about best practices when applying it to a garden bed. Workshop attendees will all receive a small amount of biochar to take back to their garden.

Space is limited! Pre-registration is required.

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New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series

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