Farm School NYC January Newsletter

01/25/2024

𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗡𝗬𝗖 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀
• 𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬!
It’s 2024! We’ve been busy planning for the year and the photo below isn’t the only thing we are excited to share from our annual staff retreat earlier this month. Stay tuned for updates on plans we’ve been working on. We appreciate your patience this month, allowing us to keep our heads down and focus on internal activity. More info on what to expect next is coming soon..

• 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵!
We are immensely grateful to our community and board for supporting our largest end-of-year crowdfunding target ever! Focusing on cultivating monthly sustainers is crucial this year, especially since we won’t have a cohort of students dedicating contributions to our efforts on a consistent basis. Please support our mission and continue to fortify our foundation year-round by signing up to be a monthly sustainer today. Your continued support impacts FSNYC (and NYC) for years to come!

• 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴
Do you have an idea about how NYC can strengthen agriculture through advocacy or legislation? We want to help you create and run a campaign around it! From carbon sequestration to native species preservation, let us know your idea, and we can help you make it happen. Our farmer advocate, Jocelyn Germany, will support the campaigns. Please e-mail Jocelyn@farmschoolnyc.org to share ideas, ask questions, and learn more.

• 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘚𝘈
You might have seen some of our recent updates about the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Urban County Committee (UCOC). In our ongoing partnership with the FSA, our collective aim is to enhance their programs’ impact and community engagement. We’ll soon have more updates and invitations for engagement around our work with the FSA. For now, we are excited to announce that one of the two new UCOC representatives is an FSNYC alumni and facilitator. Congrats to DK Kinard and Justin Baker. We are excited to see how you’ll use this position to shape the future of FSA in NYC!

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿
• 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱
Join the Bronx Green-Up team at the New York Botanical Garden on Saturday, January 27th 1:30pm –3:30pm for an afternoon of garden tool care! Learn how to clean, sharpen, repair, and maintain garden tools while helping us prepare our inventory for next season. If you have your own hand tools to repair, feel free to bring them as well. Register here.

• 𝘈𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘦𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴
Cornell University’s upcoming webinar series on Agricultural Marketing will cover a wide range of subjects, helping farmers to develop tools to connect with consumers of their products. The webinars will take place from 12pm-1pm every Monday from January 29th-March 25th via Zoom. (Schedule is subject to change) Those who register will receive the Zoom link before each webinar. Register Here.

• 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 / 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘈𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦
BFF recently launched a program called the Black Abundance Circle – a paid membership program for Black donors where membership fees go directly into a regranting pool that supports Black farmers and food actors across the Northeast. The intention behind creating this program was to foster a space where Black folks with similar values around lifting up the Black community, including Black farmers and food actors, have opportunities to connect directly Black Farmer Fund staff and investees and to see, in action, how their dollar directly contributes to a more equitable food system. If you know anyone interested in becoming a member or learning more, please share the flier below!

• 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺

Dr. Kristin Reynolds at The New School in New York City in collaboration with Dr. Kara Woods at the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University in Mississippi are conducting a survey as part of a research project on the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, focusing on racial equity.

The survey seeks to address informational gaps about the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP), its urban agriculture grant program, urban county offices and committees, and additional urban agriculture provisions included in the 2018 Farm Bill, as they relate to racial equity. Take the survey linked here if you identify as a Socially Disadvantaged Farmer. Please share this survey to improve the effectiveness of USDA programs.

Respond by Friday, February 2nd. Questions can be directed to kristin.reynolds@newschool.edu,

• 𝘍𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘈𝘙𝘌 𝘉𝘐𝘗𝘖𝘊 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦
Keith Carr, Manager of Policy and Government Relations at City Harvest works to advance the organization’s hunger and food insecurity policy priorities. In February, Keith will co-lead a skillshare for BIPOC growers and business owners interested in gaining insights into practical steps for addressing food waste, participating in food assistance programs, and implementing sustainable agriculture practices.

This skillshare series is a collaborative effort between Black Farmer Fund, Buffalo Go Green, Farm School NYC, Food for the Spirit, and NEFOC Land Trust funded by USDA SARE. The upcoming skillshares are intended for BIPOC Farmers and BIPOC Educators to empower individuals and businesses to make positive contributions to the food supply chain and promote environmental sustainability.

If you are interested in attending the first session, register here!

• 𝘗𝘖𝘓𝘓𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘛𝘌

POLLINATE! is a paid training program for queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (QTBIPOC) beginner farmers interested in cooperative business models that center equitable food access. Check out rocksteadyfarm.com/pollinate to read the program description, application, and to learn more.The application deadline is Friday, February 2nd.

𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁
The Growers & Ranchers Legal Support Project (GRLSP) is a soon-to-be legal services provider that will strive to provide legal services and education to growers, ranchers, and other agriculturalists across New York State to support their sustainable growth and development as primary contributors to equitable food and agricultural systems in New York. They hope to better understand the needs of agriculturalists in New York State and created this survey.

𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀
• Downer Park – Assistant Grower

• New Economy Loan Fund – Coordinator

• Museum of Food and Drink – Multiple Positions

• Edible Schoolyard – Mobile Garden & Kitchen Teacher

• Black Farmer Fund – Development & Investor Relations Director

• Newburgh Urban Farm and Food Initiative – Assitant Grower

• Sweet Freedom Farm – Lead Farmer & Distribution Coordinator

• Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center – Farming Manager

• Riverside Park Conservancy – Compost Operations Coordinator

• Green City Force – Compost Power Crew Member

• Snug Harbor – Community Impact Coordinator

• Snug Harbor – Education Manager