NYC Urban Growers Update
The NYC Urban Growers Update is an occasional email publication focused on production-oriented resources for NYC urban farmers who are growing for market or growing at a similar scale (e.g. nonprofit farms growing for food banks). Updates and announcements from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Urban Agriculture Program are provided too.
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2025 Archived Issues
NYC Urban Growers Update - November/December 2025
Winter pests / “late season weirdness”
NYC Urban Growers Update - July/August 2025
Heat stress / twospotted spider mite / brassica pests / pepper maggot
NYC Urban Growers Update - May 2025
Slugs / aphids / leafminer / flea beetles / roly-polys
2024 Archived Issues
11/11 – NYC Market Growers Update
8/26 – NYC Market Growers Update
Pepper maggot / aster yellows
7/3 – NYC Market Growers Update
Edema / spotted lanternfly / twospotted spider mite / blossom end rot
2/29 – NYC Market Growers Update
2024 Crop Planning Guide
2023 Archived Issues
9/25 – NYC Market Growers Update
Sunscald on peppers / basil chilling damage
6/5 – NYC Market Growers Update
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus / spotted lanternfly
4/27 – NYC Market Growers Update
Spotted lanternfly / spinach leafminer / slugs
2/6 - NYC Market Growers Update
Downy mildew-resistant cucumbers and basil
2022 Archived Issues
11/11 - NYC Market Growers Update
Spotted lanternfly / aphids / downy mildew-resistant cucumbers
10/13 - NYC Market Growers Update
Basil chilling damage / aphids / cover crops
8/15 - Heads Up: Pest & Disease Alerts
Spotted lanternfly / twospotted spider mite / cucurbit downy mildew
6/16 - NYC Market Growers Update
Aphids / cabbageworm / onion thrips / twospotted spider mite / *guide to ordering predatory mites* / cabbage whitefly / bacterial leaf spot on peppers / bacterial speck on tomato
4/19 - NYC Market Growers Update
Brassica break and early season pests
2/24 - NYC Market Growers Update
2022 NYC Crop Planning Guide -- vegetable diseases, pests to watch for in 2022
2021 Archived Issues
12/3 - NYC Market Growers Update
announcements
11/12 - NYC Market Growers Update
ginger trial results
9/15 - NYC Market Growers Update
spotted lanternfly / brassica pests (cabbageworm, whitefly, harlequin bug) / tomato pests/diseases (twospotted spider mite, bacterial speck) / cucumber and squash pest/disease (downy mildew, powdery mildew, squash bug)
7/26 - NYC Market Growers Update
cabbage whitefly / cabbageworms / black rot / tomato diseases / onion thrips / pigweed flea beetle (callaloo) / basil downy mildew
7/14 - Heads Up: Cucumber Problems
cucurbit downy mildew / twospotted spider mite
5/19 - NYC Market Growers Update
farmer-to-farmer Slack channel / cabbage whitefly / pillbug (roly-poly) on radishes & turnips / spinach leafminer / flea beetles
1/8 - NYC Market Growers Update
ginger trials
2020 Archived Issues
8/7 - NYC Market Growers Update
twospotted spider mite / tomato diseases (bacterial canker & speck, fusarium) / brassica pests / black rot / flea beetle on callaloo
6/16 - NYC Market Growers Update
aphids / potato leafhopper
4/2 - NYC Market Growers Update
aphids on winter greens
2/19 - NYC Market Growers Update
2020 NYC Crop Planning Guide -- basil / cucumbers, squash, melons / tomatoes / kale, collards, other brassicas / peppers
2019 Archived Issues
12/03 - NYC Market Growers Update
NYC Agricultural Soil Survey / soil testing and nutrient levels
10/15 - NYC Market Growers Update
harlequin bug / cabbageworms / whitefly / cabbage aphids
09/19 - NYC Market Growers Update
basil downy mildew / twospotted spider mite / whitefly / cabbageworms / harlequin bug
07/26 - NYC Market Growers Update
Bacterial canker on tomatoes / blossom end rot and water stress / onion thrips
07/18 - Heads Up: Twospotted Spider Mite
07/09 - NYC Market Growers Update
Black rot on brassicas / basil downy mildew / bacterial diseases on tomatoes
06/11 - NYC Market Growers Update
early-season nutrient deficiencies / cabbageworms / flea beetles / potato leafhopper
05/01 - NYC Market Growers Update
tomato bacterial diseases / grafting cucumbers onto squash
03/15 - NYC Market Growers Update
NYC Agricultural Soil Survey / hydroponic nutrient deficiencies
02/22 - NYC Market Growers Update
cabbage aphids
Upcoming Events
Maximizing Your Garden Space
May 9, 2026
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Celebrate spring and get your garden growing with this hands-on workshop on maximizing your garden space! Join Cornell Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman as she shares practical strategies to maximize limited space. Participants will learn about the current state-wide soil testing program and crop planning techniques designed to increase yields and extend the growing season.Webinar: Impact of Microclimates on NYC Urban Ag
May 13, 2026
12:00 noon - 1:00 PM
Hear from Dan Olmstead of Cornell IPM on how NYC's microclimates differ from Borough to Borough and their impact on resilience planning. We will also be discussing the data collected from weather stations across urban gardens in the city.Webinar: Biochar Applications on Urban Farms
June 10, 2026
12:00 noon - 1:00 PM
Hear from Deborah Aller, Cornell, about biochar applications on urban farms and its ability to act as a tool for soil health and climate mitigation. We will also be discussing the mission behind New York Center for Organics Recycling and Education (NYCORE).Announcements
Community Garden Leadership Program - Application Open Now!
The Cornell Community Garden Leadership Program is a year-long online program that prepares individuals to enhance their leadership skills to strengthen community gardens throughout New York State. The program equips community gardeners with management best practices and operational skills to improve garden sustainability. The program also connects gardeners to regional resources, professional development opportunities, and a statewide community garden leadership network.Register for a virtual information session to learn more about the program and discover if this program is the right fit for you. Each information session is typically 45min-1hr.
Session Dates:
- April 9 at 10am
- April 14 at 12pm
- April 22 at 5:30pm
- May 7 at 12pm
- May 11 at 5:30pm
**Please note: the program application closes on June 15th and will be sent to all who register for an information session.
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 available from the CCE Harvest New York team. Learn more about the 2026 Community Gardens Soil Testing Program.