Author Archives: kccurbanfarm

Free workshops with KCC Urban Farm!

KCC Urban Farm and the Farm FIG are offering a number of workshops next month. These workshops are open to all KCC faculty, staff, and students. Please RSVP!

  • Planting Seeds for your Vegetable Garden @ KCC Urban Farm
    • Part 1: Tuesday, 5/3, 5pm-6:30pm
    • Part 2: Tuesday, 5/17, 5pm-6:30pm
    • Join us to plant summer crops! Learn about the ins and outs of germination from seed. Participants will plant seeds both on the farm and in trays to take home. Please plan to attend both sessions. Space is limited: RSVP required.
  • 5/11, 11:30am, room M-391: Farm FIG shared curriculum Dropbox
    • Join us for our second Farm FIG meeting of the semester, where we’ll walk through a shared Dropbox of curriculum resources for teaching about food & agriculture. Have something to contribute? Let us know!
  • 5/25, 10:20am, room M-391: Training of Trainers: Learn how to lead our “Intro to Food Systems” workshop with your students
    • Our third Farm FIG meeting of the semester will include a mini training-of-trainers for leading a participatory workshop on defining “food system.” This workshop is highly adaptable – we’ve used variations of it in farm tours, classes, and events.

Want more? KCC Urban Farm’s popular Intro to Organic Vegetable Gardening class starts May 4, 5:30-8:30pm, and runs weekly for 8 weeks. More info and registration here.

Please let us know if you plan to attend any of these. See you on the farm!

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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Dahlias: from the Aztecs to Brooklyn

 

IMG_4802By Anastasiya Novikova, KCC Farm Student Aide

When I recently began working at the farm, the first thing that came to sight were all of the Dahlias in the hoop house. They were all in full bloom on an early September day. My admiration came from the colors. They were beautifully sprouting yellows, purples, whites and pinks. I also analyzed how the petals create a very interesting shape. I knew from that day on that I wanted to maintain and keep them growing to the best of my abilities. A couple of months passed at work and I grew a deeper appreciation for these flowers when it came to arranging bouquets with our Farm Manager, Cris. I was so happy to learn a new skill and decorate our vegetable distribution for students with our carefully sorted flower bunches. The best part was after our mini farmers market, I got to choose my favorite vase with Dahlias the size of my face.

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KCC Urban Farm Veggie of the Week: Ground Cherries

groundcherries

Recipes by student Farmer Chef Lilja with the assistance of Farmer Mike

KCC Urban Farm Veggie of the Week: Ground Cherries (Physalis Pruinosa)

FACTS

  • Ground cherries are thought to be originated in Central and South America.
  • The ground cherry is a species of Physalis, and it is technically a fruit. It is part of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, eggplants, and tomatillos.
  • It is best to plant ground cherries indoors 6-7 weeks before transplant. Transplanting takes place after the danger of frost has passed, and the soil is warm.
  • Ground cherries can produce up to 300 fruits per plant, and can keep going until frost season.

RECIPES:

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A Slice of Farm Life: Mount Compost

By Benjamin Hanon, KCC Urban Farm student aide10559659_777328102289207_4604875111502288765_n

 

Today’s story is about turning our compost pile, with the help of the nice folks over at the Liberty Partnerships Program at Kingsborough.

In the deepest depths of the kingdom of Kingsborough’s Urban Farm, towards the T1 building and behind the student beds lies the mysterious Mount Compost. Rumor has it that this mountain is made of garden waste and the bodies of fruits and vegetables that never get eaten. They say that mysterious figures wearing sun hats and farm clothes add to the mountain every week. It is believed that otherworldly forces transform this plant matter into soil. I know the truth. Mount Compost is made of much more than just the bodies of our fallen plant brethren. Mount Compost is composed of a network of of Bacteria, Fungi, and Protists that digest plant matter and convert it into the rich soil that we use on the farm.

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Farm Hands

By Lilja Walter, KCC Urban Farm student aide11222936_1021180417903973_6387449318426881408_o

Every day I look at the progression of the tan on my arms. I trace over the marks and splotches that the plants have bestowed upon my epidermal layer. They are the gentle kisses that the farm leaves behind after a hard days labor. On the train I am wrapped in my cozy dirt blanket. The light dusting protects all of my exposed parts from the cold train car, allowing me to rest rather than shiver. As I am lulled into sleep I admire the soil locked behind my fingernails. I feel my fingers worming through the land as I try to free my loves from the saboteur weeds stealing their nutrients.

I dig my arms deeper into the soil.

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A Slice of Farm Life: Tales From the Field

By Ben Hanon, KCC Urban Farm Student Aide

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Today’s story is about staff distribution, one of the most exciting times of the year. We hope you enjoy!

The sign outside the farm gate seemed simple enough. It told the staff and faculty what time the distribution of vegetables began. 11:30 A.M. on the dot, never a second too early, and never a second too late. From the back of the farm looking out, the farm crew could see a sea of bodies. Bodies of people who had dedicated themselves to two things. The first was serving the Kingsborough community to the best of their ability, the second was getting their farm fresh organic veggies before our stock ran low. This crowd had been waiting all year as students came and went as they pleased to student only distributions of produce. They were ready, they were hungry, and we were ready to serve them.

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Welcome Cris Izaguirre, new Farm Manager at KCC Urban Farm!

10333808_10152116532037705_1215833138407859233_oWe’re excited to introduce KCC Urban Farm’s new Farm Manager, Cris Izaguirre!

Cris completed the Ecological Horticulture Apprenticeship at the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems in Santa Cruz, California (the same training program as our previous, Farm Manager, Silvia Torres!).  Previously, Cris worked on permaculture and Native Hawaiian farms on the Big Island of Hawaii, while also assisting elementary school gardening classes at Honaunau Elementary School. Having worked part-time as a Farm Assistant pre- and post-Hurricane Sandy at KCC Urban Farm, Cris feels like they are returning to their farming home.

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KCC Urban Farm is Hiring

JOIN KCC URBAN FARM AS A RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Student research assistant Adriana Valerio measuring brix in kale leaves

2014 student research assistant Adriana Valerio measuring brix in kale leaves

We are looking for students who are interested in gaining lab experience by helping KCC Urban Farm measure nutrients in our soil and plant tissue. Duties will include using testing kits to track select nutrients for some of our crops and amending KCC Urban Farm soil based on soil test results. No experience is necessary, but students should be responsible, dependable, and enjoy working outside. Applicants should also ideally be able to commit to both spring and summer semesters.

Research assistants will be hired as student aides and must be full time. To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, and class schedule to mara.gittleman@kbcc.cuny.edu by April 13, 2015.