Author Archives: kccurbanfarm

Science on the Farm

We haven’t spoken much about science on the farm, but we’ve had a number of projects going over the last few years. Last season, KCC Urban Farm ran a small experiment to see how adding minerals to our soil could boost plant nutrition. This year, we plan to expand upon that experiment, so stay tuned for internship opportunities!

The problem:
Soil is made out of minerals (50%), air (23%), water (23%), and organic matter (4%). Because KCC Urban Farm is lucky enough to receive donations of compost from the Department of Sanitation, however, our soil has 30% organic matter! What does this mean for us? For growing our high quality vegetables, it means we have to test our soil for the nutrients plants need to grow.

The solution:
Based on the soil test results, we can add mineral amendments based on what we’re missing.

The experiment:

Student research assistant Adriana Valerio measuring brix in kale leaves

We want to know if our mineral amendments are leading to healthier crops. In 2014, we ran a small experiment on our tomato plants: we amended only half of the plants for each variety of tomato. After a couple of weeks, we measured calcium and brix levels in new and old leaves for all of the tomato plants. We did the same thing a couple of months later. Calcium is important for plant growth – plant cells use it for structure. It’s also a good indicator of nutrient uptake. Brix is a measure of plant sugars – if brix is high, we know our plants have everything they need to thrive.

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2015 Classes on the Farm

Come grow vegetables with us! This winter and spring KCC Urban Farm will be offering classes to get you on your way to a great 2015 growing season. Register online or at 718-368-5050. For a regularly updated listing of classes at KCC Urban Farm, check our website.

WINTER 2015
Planting Seeds
NHB39, $40
Tues., March 17, 5:30-8:30pm AND Tues., March 31, 5:30-8:30pm

Learn the ins and outs of growing edible crops from seed. This two-day
course will include seed science, pest management, equipment, and
maintenance to successfully carry your crops through the process of
germination. Participants will take home their own seedlings to kick-start their gardens!

SPRING 2015 (registration opens in March)
Intro to Organic Vegetable Gardening
Tuesdays, 5:30-8:30pm, April 28 – June 16.
$100 + $15 materials fee

This course covers all of the basics of urban gardening from soil to seed to table. Learn how to grow edible crops organically, start plants from seed, manage pests, and more at KCC Urban Farm. Students will gain skills in soil conditioning, crop planning, composting, planting, and harvesting to get on their way to producing their own fresh herbs, greens, fruits, and vegetables. This course also covers finding land for gardening in NYC and building a garden from scratch.

Planting Seeds
NHB39, $40 + $5 materials fee
Weds., April 29, 5:30-8:30pm AND Weds., May 13, 5:30-8:30pm

Apply for a Class Bed at KCC Urban Farm

If you’re planning on bringing your class to KCC Urban Farm more than once throughout the semester, consider applying for a class bed!

Class beds are 8’x4′ raised beds at KCC Urban Farm that will be available for research and classes that go beyond what we already offer. Download or fill out the application form below for faculty, staff, and students interested in applying for space. We are looking forward to reading proposals from a variety of disciplines that will help us expand the reach of the Farm in creative and thoughtful ways.

Applications for class beds for Spring and Summer 2015 semesters are due February 13, 2015. Contact Mara at mara.gittleman@kbcc.cuny.edu with any questions.

Need some ideas? Here are some that have been done in the past!

A culinary professor brought his students out nearly every week to watch how the changing season affected the availability of produce. They harvested herbs and vegetables to cook in class.
A biology professor brought her students to the class bed in groups of 2-3 for hands-on practice after class
A BEH Link class between English and Sociology used a class bed to reinforce ideas learned about Food Systems in class: seeds and seed-saving, access to healthy food, seasonality and local vs. conventional food systems, etc.

Here are some more ideas:

Design and implement an experiment! Can we grow more nutritious vegetables than what we can find in supermarkets? How does the biodiversity found on the farm compare to that found around campus? What’s the most effective organic fertilizer? What are some best practices for pest management?
Bring your class every other week to plant seeds and carry them through to harvest. While they’re on the farm, they can observe seasonal changes to harvest, flora, and fauna, or host small group discussions about our food system. At the end of the semester, the students can harvest what they’ve grown and share a meal!

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Vegetable Seedling Giveaway

Join us on the farm to take home free plants for your vegetable garden! KCC Urban Farm is giving away seedlings for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, callaloo, tomatillos, basil, and parsley.

WHEN: Thursday, 6/19 and Monday, 6/23, 12pm-2pm
WHERE: KCC Urban Farm, between T8 and T2

See you there!

Wrapping up a great season

Season extension: we’re still growing
2013 was a productive season at KCC Urban Farm. Despite smaller growing area due to construction, we grew over 3,000 lbs of fresh produce, all of which went to the KCC community!

While the weather is getting cold outside, it’s still a few degrees warmer in the hoop house, where we’ll be growing cold hardy crops through the winter.

Working with KCC Reads

Food Day at KCC Urban Farm

KCC Urban Farm has been working intimately with KCC Reads, since this year’s book, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, is all about our food system. We co-hosted an event on Food Day, a national celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food, that brought over a hundred students to the farm. We led tours of the farm and discussions about our food system for dozens of classes that are reading the book, and produced a toolkit of resources for faculty who are teaching about food and farming.

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Homecoming at KCC Urban Farm

Last Sunday, KCC Urban Farm continued our tradition of hosting cooking demonstrations and farm tours at KCC’s annual Homecoming. Denia, our cooking demo CLT, showcased farm-fresh salsa with homemade chips and a variety of sauteed greens. Our fall greens include five varieties of Asian greens, turnip and radish greens, collard greens, and kale. In a few weeks, mustard greens will be ready to add to that list!

Denia and her daughter making salsa and greens

Farm-grown salsa with homemade chips

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Back to School

Classes are back in session, and KCC Urban Farm is ready for students! For the next few weeks, as we wrap up the 2013 growing season, our volunteer hours will be:

Tuesdays, 12pm-3pm
Wednesdays, 12pm-2pm

Hours may change in October – check our Facebook page for the latest updates. Download the flyer here.

Download the flyer

OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, 9/24, 2pm-4pm & Wednesday, 9/25, 2pm-4pm
Curious about KCC Urban Farm but not sure how to get involved? Stop by our Open House! Take a tour, sample our bounty, and find out how you can get your hands dirty or use us in your classes. We welcome all KCC students, faculty, and staff.

FACULTY ORIENTATION
9am-10am
Tuesday, September 24 and Wednesday, September 25 (come to one)
Join us for our first faculty orientation! Are you a professor, instructor, or program administrator at Kingsborough Community College? Are you considering using the farm in your classes? Come take a tour and brainstorm some ideas with fellow faculty. We will showcase some of the educational resources we have available for faculty to borrow, demonstrate one of the activities found in our curriculum package, and provide structured time for faculty to discuss their ideas with each other and with farm staff.

Planting Fall Crops

TIME FOR FALL CROPS
As the days get shorter and the season winds down, we’re once again planting cool-weather crops. Lettuce, kale, collard greens, radishes, broccoli, turnips, mustard greens, and Asian greens, to name but a few, have already been planted, and will be harvested now through the rest of the year.

CONTINUING EDUCATION ON THE FARM
KCC Urban Farm has two upcoming classes this fall. Full course descriptions here.

Urban Farming: Fall
Tuesdays, 5pm-8pm, Oct 1-Nov 19

Urban Agriculture-Focused Carpentry
Wednesday and Thursday, 10am-4pm, Oct 2 and 3 OR Oct 9 and 10 OR
Friday and Saturday, 10am-4pm, Oct 4 and 5

Click here to register!

Summer Bounty

It’s mid-summer, and KCC Urban Farm is overflowing with fresh veggies.

Denia harvesting rainbow carrots

What’s growing?

Summer brings the end of our spring crops, including countless bunches off carrots and beets. As these come out of the ground, we make room for our favorite heat-loving fruiting crops – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, tomatillos, and cucumbers.

Swiss Chard

We’re also harvesting kale, callaloo, swiss chard, and collard greens, which are versatile greens used in a variety of dishes across world cultures, from Jamaica to Italy.

Zinnia

Summertime also brings an abundance of bright, vibrant flowers. At KCC Urban Farm, we’re growing zinnias, sunflowers, agrostemma, calendula, marigolds, bachelor’s buttons, and more to bring pollinators to our crops and liven up our offices.

Taste of the Farm

This week, Food Justice Interns under Prof. Helaine Harris harvested and prepared fresh veggies for the second Taste of the Farm event of 2013. Students showcased a series of raw salads: kale salad, cucumber salad, green been salad, and two varieties of raw, grated beets. They also harvested herbs from the farm, blending flavors of mint, lemongrass, and chamomile for a refreshing summer beverage.

The goal of the internship class is to raise awareness about food justice issues and expose students to various aspects of the burgeoning food movement. Earlier this summer, these students volunteered on the farm, helping us plant lettuce and turn compost.