New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series
Lori Koenick, Extension Support Specialist
Harvest New York

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. We've developed a set of fact sheets with case studies highlighting pest management techniques that New York urban farms have found valuable. The fact sheets are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish.
Disease Resistant Crop VarietiesHere we highlight the opportunity to prevent disease from the crop in the first place. For some crop and disease combinations, perhaps the most straightforward method is to select a variety of the crop that has been bred for resistance to the disease. This technique begins before we ever sow a seed! Catalogs will list information about each variety's disease resistance. When purchasing seeds, choose the varieties with listed resistance to the diseases you're most concerned about. We like to note that disease resistant vegetable varieties are nearly always non-GMO, and often available as untreated or certified organic seed. Selecting resistant varieties is an easy, cheap, and effective strategy to get ahead of plant diseases.
Here we highlight an exclusionary pest management tool. Keeping pests (particularly insects and mites) away from a young planting gets crops off on the right foot. Urban farmers use row covers and insect nets as barriers, physically preventing pests from reaching their host plant. These covers and nets are typically a temporary tool designed to be put on and taken off during the growing season, often early in crop cycles. It is helpful to do some research on the pest's biology and life cycle to be sure we are keeping the pest out and not in! Remember: Row cover is a protective measure; install it before the pest arrives on the crop. This tool must match crop needs too, such as temperature tolerance and pollination requirements.
Releasing Natural EnemiesMany urban farms use biocontrol strategies such as the introduction of natural enemies to their growing spaces for pest management. Mimicking the natural world, we use good bugs to manage the bad bugs! Many pest species have their own natural enemies that can be purchased and released on the farm. These beneficials, or biological controls, prey upon or parasitize the pests. To be successful growers, we must have knowledge on the right natural enemy to release at the right time and in the right place. In our experience, this approach works best in enclosed systems, such as greenhouses, high tunnels, and under row cover. Biological controls should be applied early in the pest/crop cycle. This is a biological system that requires attention to detail and commitment from the grower. Local cooperative extension and biocontrol suppliers are great places to gather knowledge on biocontrol techniques.
Brassica BreakIn this fact sheet, we highlight urban growers' use of time as a pest management tool. Brassicas (also known as crucifers and cole crops) are the most common crop family on urban farms in New York. They are also host to a range of insect pests, including cabbageworms, flea beetles, cabbage aphid, Swede midge, harlequin bug, and cabbage whitefly. A cultural control we're calling "Brassica Break" creates a calendar window at some point during the year when there are no brassicas available to insect pests anywhere on the farm. When you remove the plants, you remove the pests!
Interested in Learning More?Contact project team members Sam Anderson of CCE Harvest NY, Lori Koenick or Judson Reid of the CCE Cornell Vegetable Program.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number [LNE21-421 "Sustainable Pest Management for New York Urban Farmers"]. Fall 2024.
Disease Resistant Crop Varieties for Pest Management on Urban Farms (pdf; 413KB)
Disease Resistant Crop Varieties for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Arabic) (pdf; 2258KB)
Disease Resistant Crop Varieties for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Chinese) (pdf; 2581KB)
Disease Resistant Crop Varieties for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Spanish) (pdf; 2207KB)
Row Covers for Pest Management on Urban Farms (pdf; 358KB)
Row Covers for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Arabic) (pdf; 1803KB)
Row Covers for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Chinese) (pdf; 2101KB)
Row Covers for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Spanish) (pdf; 1739KB)
Releasing Natural Enemies for Pest Management on Urban Farms (pdf; 393KB)
Releasing Natural Enemies for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Arabic) (pdf; 1491KB)
Releasing Natural Enemies for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Chinese) (pdf; 1891KB)
Releasing Natural Enemies for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Spanish) (pdf; 1512KB)
Brassica Break for Pest Management on Urban Farms (pdf; 588KB)
Brassica Break for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Arabic) (pdf; 2617KB)
Brassica Break for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Chinese) (pdf; 2995KB)
Brassica Break for Pest Management on Urban Farms (Spanish) (pdf; 2721KB)
Upcoming Events
Un Intercambio entre Agricultores Urbanos
February 25, 2025
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
New York, NY
CCE Harvest NY se complace en anunciar un evento de intercambio de recursos y creación de redes que se llevar?¡ a cabo en Project Farmhouse el 25 de febrero de 5:30 p. m. a 8:00 p. m. Tendremos presentaciones breves en español de GrowNYC, FSA (Farm Service Agency) y CEANYC (Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC). También habr?¡ espacio para preguntas y para conectarse con otros productores urbanos.The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) 2025
February 26, 2025
4:00 - 6:00 PM
Brooklyn, NY
The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) invites the NYC urban farm community to come together for an afternoon of conversations and show-and-tell, an opportunity to see what other urban farmers have been working on, to ask questions, and to share what went well for you this year (and what didn't).Urban Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program (Urban CAMP)
February 26, 2025
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Brooklyn, NY
The 2025 Urban Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program (Urban CAMP) is designed to empower NYC farmers and agricultural advisors in their journey to gain and share knowledge and tools needed to be resilient in the face of climate uncertainty. This program is a partnership between Cornell University, the Harvest NY Program in Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the USDA Northeast Climate Hub. The Urban CAMP curriculum draws heavily from the Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Fellowship (CAMF), created in response to farmers' need for information and technical assistance related to climate change.The 2025 Urban Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program (Urban CAMP) will consist of a series of in-person workshops, trainings, online webinars, and in-person field days, tailored for the specific needs of farmers in and around New York City. The program begins February 26, 2026 and will run through September 2026. Five in-person training sessions will be held once a week on Wednesdays in February and March (Feb. 26th, March 5th, March 12th, March 19th, and March 26th). There will be a total of three in-person farm tours during the growing season (dates TBD). Urban CAMP participants will then work to develop an adaptation or mitigation plan for their urban farm, or a farm they work with. Participants who attend all in-person events and complete a farm plan will receive a certificate of completion and a $150 stipend.