Want to meet the farmers of KCC Urban Farm? Farm staff will be at two events in March:
March 21, 2015: Making Brooklyn Bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
March 28, 2015: NYCHA Goes Green (location to be announced)
Come talk with Farm Education Manager, Mara Gittleman, and Farm Manager, Silvia Torres, about what goes on at the farm from the students who help the farm run, continuing education classes, produce distributions and culinary arts partnerships. We’ve got it all!
Are you a full time KCC student? Do you want to work at KCC Urban Farm? Now’s the time to get connected with us. Help with harvesting, propagation, composting, demonstrations and general site maintenance. Read the flyer below for more information. (If you can’t access the flyer, contact Farm Manager Silvia Torres for more info: silvia.torres@kbcc.cuny.edu)
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
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!
If you’ve read any of our recent posts about KCC Urban Farm, you’ve probably seen photos of one of our most dedicated and energetic student aides: Maya Stansberry. Before the holidays I sat down with Maya to talk about her work on the farm and her future plans in urban agriculture.
What is your interest in urban farming and where did it come from?
Growing up, gardening was a pastime that my mother and relatives eagerly shared, and something that I learned to appreciate as well as enjoy. While my family has no professional/educational background with gardening, we always had gardens or small, indoor greenhouses going on somewhere. As a result, and I feel like a hippie saying this, I love being outside and connecting with the earth. There’s something exciting about putting something in the earth and getting something else back.
I wouldn’t say that my interest in urban farming comes from growing up in Baltimore, but more comes from growing up in a family with a southern/country heritage where gardening/farming incidentally runs in the family (my fraternal grandfather, who grew up on a farm, has his own vegetable garden which I helped tend to in my early teens; my maternal grandmother has a vegetable garden at her church; my mom encouraged my siblings and I to attempt to grow things, etc.).
Earlier this month students from the NRC Culinary Arts job training program at Kingsborough visited KCC Urban Farm to get a hands-on lesson on the value of fresh, organic produce. Students, many of whom mentioned already having experience with their own gardens, were surprised to learn how easy it is to grow delicious food without using pesticides. Linking this visit to their work in the kitchen, students compared tomatoes grown on the Farm to store-bought ones, realizing the rich color, appealing texture, and vibrant flavor would be so much more appealing to customers.
Through NRC training, students learn about the of fundamentals of food industry jobs including cooking terminology and techniques, they’re given an introduction into what they’ll experience once they’re in a professional kitchen, and most importantly for NRC, they’ll develop a background for what it means to be resilient individuals, both in their personal and professional lives. Our program’s partnership with Kingsborough Community College provides classes that are taught by KCC faculty, through KCC’s Culinary Arts program, and access to many of the college’s perks, including the KCC Urban Farm.
If you’re interested in getting more info about NRC’s Culinary Arts program, fill out this quick online survey and a representative will get back to you with everything you need to know.
Last semester, Kingsborough Community Health Ambassadors produced videos about different ways to make KCC a healthier campus. Check out this one from Briana Palmieri (currently attending St. Francis for a B.S. in Health Promotion) as she asks students about healthy eating at KCC. It features students, faculty and staff from Brooklyn’s own KCC Urban Farm:
Briana Palmieri – Spring 2014 – Healthier Eating at KCC from Jose Nanin on Vimeo.
It’s Friday and it’s beautiful out! A perfect time to share photos of KCC Urban Farm. A recap for new visitors: KCC Urban Farm is the first urban farm on a CUNY college campus. We work with faculty members, students, and community members to develop programming around urban farming. We seek to prepare students for green careers, use fresh fruits and vegetables to encourage an understanding of local and global food systems, and educate students on the benefits of leading healthy lifestyles.
Urban farming in Brooklyn is getting a whole lot smarter!
Now that school is back in session, it’s a good time to remind everyone about the KCC Urban Farm/Single Stop produce distributions.
We will continue to distribute free farm-fresh produce to KCC students with valid ID (this event is only open to students with a valid KCC ID) every Thursday until the end of the season. In addition to produce, this event will also host cooking demonstrations that showcase some of what is being given out. Check our events page to see where these distributions will happen.
Note: this distribution is open to KCC students, only. If you’re not currently a student, sign up for one of our Continuing Education classes that are held year round.
Here’s a snapshot of past distributions:
This Saturday, September 13th, Green Thumb will be hosting a harvest fair to honor NYC’s urban gardeners. Visit our Events page to get specific information about this event.
They are also looking for volunteers to help with:
If you’re interested in signing up to be a volunteer, visit NYC Service’s website.
Are you curious about we’re doing on the Farm? Here’s a sneak peek at the KCC Urban Farm Summer 2014 Newsletter:
Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything that’s happening on our urban farm…or just keep following us here.