Tag Archives: urban farm

KCC Urban Farm Class Bed Applications

We are accepting class bed applications for Spring 2019!

A limited number of class beds (4’x8’ raised beds) are available at KCC Urban Farm for faculty/staff who would like to use them for curricular and/or research purposes. Class beds are not for personal use – they are to be used for instruction and/or research only. We are happy to collaborate with all academic programs to create an enriching experience for students. 

If you are interested in having a class bed for the Spring 2019 semester, please use the google form to apply for a class bed. I will be reviewing applications and reaching out to applicants to schedule follow up meetings and answer any questions.

Class Bed Application: https://goo.gl/forms/Xp6ocCFHJ6GEXzZs1

KCC Urban Farm Volunteer Days

KCC students, faculty and staff are invited to join us this summer and dig into some farm work right on campus!

We are looking for volunteers to support us with general farm tasks this summer-fall. Volunteers are welcome to stop by anytime between 1-4pm (please be mindful of your availability and only come if you are done with class and/or work or during your break). We encourage volunteers to wear weather appropriate clothing, meaning: light comfortable clothes for the heat  and closed toe shoes (no sandals or heels). Remember to bring a water bottle and a hat.

For more info contact: Glenda Ullauri (Farm Educator) glenda.ullauri@kbcc.cuny.edu

KCC Urban Farm Free Summer Workshop

We are offering a FREE summer workshop, Tomatoes 101. 

This workshop is open to all KCC students, faculty and staff.  Please be mindful of your availability, and use your break or after you are done with work to join us.

 
Space is limited, please use this link to RSVP.
 
Tomatoes 101
Join us for this FREE workshop to learn more about one of our summer favorites: Tomatoes! We will demonstrate proper pruning and trellising techniques and troubleshoot some common pest and disease problems that may be present in our gardens. 
Tues. 7/24, 5-6pm
KCC Urban Farm (located between T2 and T8)
 
For more info contact: Glenda Ullauri (Farm Educator) glenda.ullauri@kbcc.cuny.edu

KCC Urban Farm is Hiring Student Aides

KCC Urban Farm is looking for student aides to join our farm crew! Crew members should be responsible, dependable and enjoy working outside. Farm Crew members are hired on as student aides and must be enrolled full-time at KCC.

DESCRIPTION

The student farm crew makes the farm run. You may work up to 20 hours/week, during operational farm hours: M & Th 8:30-1:30pm; Tue & Wed 9-2pm

Our crew is actively involved in all aspects of managing the farm, including:

  • Harvest (Monday & Thursday mornings at 8:30 am)
  • Irrigation (Watering the garden.)
  • Propagation (Planting seeds.)
  • Building and turning compost piles.
  • Site maintenance (Laying wood chips on paths, moving compost, etc.)
  • Delivering produce to our campus partners
  • Participating in campus events.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in applying, please send the following materials to: cris.izaguirre@kbcc.cuny.edu by September 18

  • Short explanation of why you would like to work on the farm.
  • Resume
  • Class schedule for Fall 2017

Read more about KCC Urban Farm.

KCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal em– ployment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability, marital status, citizenship etc.,.. For more information visit: http://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/la/PolicyonEqualOpportunityandNonDiscriminationandProceduresDecember42014.pdf

Mara Gittleman, KCC Urban Farm Education Manager, Researches Stormwater Runoff in NYC

gittleman-farmCongratulations are in order for KCC Urban Farm Education Manager, Mara Gittleman. Her paper, Estimating stormwater runoff for community gardens in New York City was just published in the journal Urban Ecosystems!

“Community gardens are critical ecological infrastructure in cities providing an important link between people and urban nature. The documented benefits of community gardens include food production, recreational opportunities, and a wide number of social benefits such as improving community stability, reducing crime, and physical and mental health benefits. While much of the literature cites community gardens as providing environmental benefits for cities, there is little empirical evidence of these benefits. Here we examine the stormwater runoff benefits of community gardens by comparing two methods to estimate absorption rates of stormwater runoff in urban community gardens of New York City. The first method uses general land cover classes as determined by a land cover dataset; the second methods adds a land cover specific to community gardens — raised beds, typically used for food production. We find that in addition to the stormwater mitigation performed by pervious surfaces within a garden site, community gardens in New York City may be retaining an additional 12 million gallons (~45 million liters) of stormwater annually due to the widespread use of raised beds with compost as a soil amendment.”

Read the entire article here:  Estimating stormwater runoff for community gardens in New York City.

 

Upcoming food & green career panels & job fairs

Some upcoming opportunities to network and learn about jobs in the green world and beyond…
  • Urban Agriculture and Green Careers Symposium – Friday, 3/25, 1pm-4pm – RSVP HERE – The Brooklyn College Student Center at 1 Campus Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11210 in the Alumni Lounge (4th Floor)
    • When you picture careers in sustainable agriculture in the 21st Century, we want you to think beyond Old McDonald and his farm. At the Urban Agriculture and Green Careers Symposium, get inspired by a panel of  industry professionals who are thinking differently about the ways we produce food, the spaces where we farm, and the communities that are involved in agriculture. We’ll be speaking with New York City industry leaders about their personal path to these non-traditional careers, the
      opportunities for education and job pathways in this sector, and their vision for the future of agriculture in our cities. Remember to bring a photo I.D. with you in order to access this event.

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A Community Chef for Bringing it Home

Bringing it Home (BiH) has begun! Well, not quite yet. Our Community Chef, Maya Stansberry, has just come on board to organize and lead BiH. It’s a big task, but we have no doubt of her ability to make BiH a huge success! Check out her background:

10615500_786735728015111_2491788180558449339_nPrior to taking on the responsibilities of BiH’s Community Chef, Maya was a student of Kingsborough’s Culinary Art’s program and also worked as a student aide at KCC Urban Farm. After graduating in 2015, she went on to study sustainable agricultural practices at the University of California Santa Cruz. In the midst of getting her hands dirty, Maya deepened her awareness of the inequalities throughout the current food system, further fueling her desire to be a resource to others and develop ways to make cooking a part of their unique lives. In addition to her work with BiH, Maya is attending Hunter College’s Food Science and Nutrition program.

Please join us in welcoming her!

Read more about Bringing it Home at the program’s homepage.