Community Update August 2019

Don't Miss Our Last Info Session!

Applications for our Citywide Certificate program are live! We'll hold one last Info Session on September 3 where prospective students can learn more about our programs in person. It's a great chance to talk through any questions before applications close on September 15 . To find out more about our Citywide Certificate program, check out our website and RSVP for the September 3 Info Session here .

Program Updates

Students celebrating a successful drip irrigation installation at Morris Campus Farm

Visiting Project EATS Farm on Randalls Island with farm manager Orion

As summer begins to wane, we look back on some of our classes during the heat of the season. First year Citywide students installed an irrigation system at Morris Campus Farm, and learned about crops and wild plants at Project EATS, Queens Botanical Garden, Kelly Street Garden, and Red Hook Farm. Meanwhile, second year Citywide students sharpened their facilitation skills in our Advanced Teaching course, co-taught by alumna Kelly McLane and activist artist Alicia Grullon. Farm Intensive students recently had a propagation workshop and visited Oko Farms to learn about aquaponics and the importance of water.

Mushroom Community

Our mycelial network continues to grow! We've been collaborating with Cornell Extension on a series of free mushroom workshops, with Farm School NYC student, Ravi Ramaswamy, leading efforts to center popular education within the curriculum. There are only a few more spots left in the last mushroom workshop this year: Mushroom Inoculation Workshop Kelly Street Garden 924 Kelly St, Bronx, NY 5:30-7:30pm Mushrooms can offer communities opportunities to address issues of unequal access to land, infrastructure and capital, which are all identified barriers to equity and justice in food production. Earlier this month, Farm School students attended William Padilla-Brown's Mycosymbiotics Festival. William aims to make mushroom cultivation accessible to everyone, and is an inspiration for growers of color in the largely white mushroom community. We gave a shout out to his work in this Civil Eats article .

Mushroom educator Jie Jin teaching about innoculation methods at Green Valley Community Garden

Upcoming Course Registration

With fall on the horizon, our last two courses for the year are open for registration. Each course has limited availability and will close when the course is full. Our sliding scale is offered on a rate based upon course length. We ask that you consider circumstances beyond your income when selecting a lower tuition rate (ie. education, family wealth, partnership status and other circumstances that may offer you a safety net others do not have). We hope to see you soon!

Preparing for Winter- Registration Wednesday, Sept 11, 6-9pm Saturday, Sept 14, 10am-4pm Saturday, Sept 21, 10am-4pm Saturday, Sept 28, 10am-4pm

Small Farm Planning & Design- Registration 5 weeks, Oct 2- Nov 9 (No class Oct 9 or 12) Wednesdays, 6-9pm Saturdays, 10am-2pm

Zooming Out

Sign to Support Black Farmers We recently signed a letter supporting Black farmers to US Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, and you can too! Join us, along with fellow farmers and civil rights organizations in signing to support Black farmers across the nation. BUGS Conference The Black Urban Growers Conference is convening Black farmers and gardeners from near and far in October. This annual conference rotates cities each year, and this year we're lucky enough to have it right here in NYC! As co-hosts for the conference, we hope you'll consider submitting a workshop proposal before the September 6 deadline and join us on October 26-27 for an inspiring weekend.

Irrigation instructor Lorrie Clevenger checking the drip system installation at Morris Campus Farm

Program Reflections What did you like best about the irrigation course? "The hands on installations of a drip irrigation system really helped to demystify the whole process-- it's a lot less intimidating now. Also so much was shared about ancestral, indigenous practices and ways to connect the past with the present. "   "I loved thinking about water and our relationship to it. I also loved being at La Finca and understanding the different parts of an irrigation system. And how the structure of specific plants affects their need for water."

Students and teachers in our Advanced Teaching course

Upcoming Events

Water & Plant Walk Friday, September 6, 10am-12pm Herban Cura / Manhattan Seed Keeping Workshop with Truelove Saturday, September 7, 12-2pm East New York Farms / Brooklyn Bronx Green Up Harvest Festival Saturday, September 7, 1-4pm New Roots Community Farm / Bronx

Mushroom Inoculation Workshop Wednesday, September 17, 5:30-7:30pm Kelly Street Garden / Bronx Community Gardens Rally Thursday, September 19, 10am NYCCGC / Manhattan Black Urban Growers Conference Saturday - Sunday, October 26 - 27 BUGS / Manhattan

Jobs & Opportunities

Internship (paid) NYS Ag & Markets Food Justice Coordinator Fund for Public Health NYC Program Specialist Bronxworks

Food Justice Activity Specialist Queens Community House Youthmarket Manager GrowNYC Educator The Battery

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