Farm School NYC

08/20/2026

WHAT ARE HIGH TUNNELS?

🏡💨High tunnels, also referred to as hoop houses, are low-cost, usually unheated, metal-tube structures 6° higher than outside, and if low tunnels are used over the growing beds inside a high tunnel,
9° can be gained.

🏡💨 High tunnels can add at least four weeks to the beginning and end of the normal growing season, giving the urban
grower a hand up in expanding and extending markets, growing more variety, and adding resilience to the farm.

🏡💨 High tunnels extend the growing season by protecting crops from harsh weather, pests, and diseases. However, they create unique conditions that can cause soil, pest, and disease problems, requiring careful management for healthy crops and good yields.

We’ve had so much fun this summer sharing knowledge, stories, and resources with this amazing community. 💙
If you’ve found our content helpful, we’d love your support in keeping this work going:
✨ Subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected.
🤝 Donate to our fundraiser and help us continue creating free educational content.

Every subscription, share, and donation makes a difference. Thank you for being part of this journey! 💙

Link in bio for more.

08/14/2026

🌾 FSNYC joined Rock Steady Farm 🌱 Regional Farm Work Day SWEET FREEDOM FARM !

🧄 We began with a grounding group stretch and a gorgeous farm tour - closing the morning with prepping garlic for distribution and seed. Around midday, we ate a delicious lunch and talked about who we are, housing affordability in NYC and the Hudson Valley, and the joy of being in community on the land to support values aligned work.

🌶️ After lunch, we headed out to the fields and tackled the volunteer plants growing amongst the pepper rows - gently separating stems and moving through lamb’s quarters, mugwort, purslane, and others to find the peppers! We cut the volunteers back and pulled out what we could to allow the peppers more light and space and less competition.

💰 RSF and SFF are launching a powerful collaborative fundraiser with WILDSEED - investing in food and farming infrastructure and housing. Follow them Webatuck Valley Farm Collab - and check out their CD investment opportunity as they raise funds for a bold, community driven, dignified food future!

🎓 We are extremely proud that the founders of these farms were once FSNYC students - we have a beautiful network that dreams in action ✨

⛓️‍💥 Sweet Freedom Farm is a black-led farm that grows culturally relevant, nutrient dense food for communities impacted by food apartheid and the prison industrial complex.

🛠️ Rock Steady Farm is a q***r and trans led multiracial worker cooperative that grows culturally meaningful foods, trains QTBIPOC farmers, and catalyzes political change in the food system.

08/10/2026

📮🧑🏾‍🌾 The UCOC VOTER REGISTRATION is now open - play a major role in the decision making of the next Manhattan and Staten Island Committee members!

🗳️Need some help figuring out how to fill out the ucoc voter form? We’re here to help. Swipe for more instructions.

🗳️The New York City Urban County Committee, leads and supervises the work of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. FSA supports farmers through financial assistance programs including loans, emergency and disaster relief, and cost-share for organic and food safety certification.

🗳️Your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) also serves as a resource hub for farmers & community gardeners to learn about opportunities from urban agriculture partners, farm visits, and more.

🔗 Register now at the link in bio!

08/05/2026

WHAT IS SUCCESSION PLANTING?

🌼⏳Succession planting involves strategically staggering plantings to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the growing season.

🌼⏳ By planting new crops at regular intervals, you can maximize your garden’s productivity.

🌼⏳ Plan Your Schedule: Calculate days to maturity for each vegetable and schedule successive plantings accordingly.
For example, sow new rows of lettuce every 2-3 weeks to ensure a steady supply.

🌼⏳ Utilize Space Efficiently: As you harvest one crop, replant the area with a new one to optimize space and keep your garden productive all season.

🌼⏳ Rotate Crops: Avoid planting the same crop in the same spot season after season to prevent soil depletion and pest issues.
We’ve been having so much fun brining folks bringing knowledge to folks

We’ve been having so much fun this summer sharing knowledge, stories, and resources with this community. 💛
Now we’re asking for your support so we can keep this work going. If what we’ve shared has been valuable to you, we’d love for you to:
✨ Subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected.
🤝 Donate to our fundraiser to help us continue creating and sharing free educational content.

Every subscription, share, and donation makes a difference. Thank you for being part of this journey with us! Link in bio for more.

07/29/2026

07/21/2026

✍️🗳️✨CALLING ALL URBAN GROWERS: A friendly reminder that nominations are still open through August 1st for the 2026 USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee. If you know an agricultural producer interested in serving on their local committee, please submit their name as a nominee. CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR MANHATTAN & STATEN ISLAND!

✍️🗳️✨ FSA county committees are a critical component of day-to-day operations, allowing grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.

✍️🗳️✨ Nationwide, more than 7,700 agricultural producers have been elected by their peers to serve on FSA county committees. Annual county committee elections are held in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) within a county or multi-county jurisdiction.

✍️🗳️✨ Farmers and ranchers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program, live within an LAA that is up for election, and are of legal voting age can be a candidate. Customers can identify which LAA they or their agricultural operation is by visiting fsa.usda.gov/elections.

✍️🗳️✨ From June 16 to Aug. 1, 2026, individuals can nominate themselves or others as a candidate. Tribal Nations and organizations representing farmers or ranchers are also encouraged to nominate candidates. County committee nomination forms are available on the FSA nwebsite or from the FSA county office.

✍️🗳️✨ Forms must be postmarked or delivered to the FSA office by Aug. 1, 2025. Voting takes place this fall, and new members and alternates take office on Jan. 1, 2026. For more details, contact a USDA Service Center and visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.

✍️🗳️✨ Thank you for helping ensure FSA county committees represent American agriculture and the producers they are elected to serve. FSA counts on you to nominate and vote!

07/17/2026

Lifting up our fourth land steward on🌾VOICES FROM THE LAND🪏
A collaborative op-ed and video series by Farm School NYC & Iris Crawford-Maskell at The New Harvest Project. 📣 Each episode highlights urban and rural farmers, policy that impacts their work, and what we can do to uplift legislation reflective of their needs to direct future policy decisions. Check it out at the link in our bio! 

This features Kadeesha “Kitty” Williams is an activist and the co-founder of Iridescent Earth Collective. They are a former NYBG Community Horticulturist/Urban Agriculturist. 

Iridescent Earth Collective breaks the traditional models of what a farm is—not just a business but a community institution. We exist as a source of education, food security, environmental stewardship, and cultural connection. We build relationships between neighbors and create resilience during times of crisis. IEC’s land project is a small-scale 3-acre farm that produces food for local and regional distribution. All of the food we grow goes to the local food banks and Bronx distribution points in need.  Who do we consider a farmer, and how can we, as a society, make it easier for communities and collectives like IEC to thrive?  

📽️Watch the interview on youtube Farm School NYC
📰Read Kitty’s op-ed at the link in our bio
📣 Share widely to support visibility about farmers and policies impacting us all

This project is funded by the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation (RAF) through the Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA (RAFI).

07/09/2026

✍️🗳️✨The 2026 USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee election season is officially underway FOR MANHATTAN AND STATEN ISLAND! If you know of an agricultural producer interested in serving on their local FSA County Committee, please submit their name as a nominee, link in our bio!

HEAR FROM OUR CURRENT FSA COMMITTEE!

✍️🗳️✨“I am committed to the wellbeing of people; access to affordable and nutritious food is foundational.” - Rona Taylor, Brooklyn representative

✍️🗳️✨“I look forward to being on the Urban County Committee because I want to battle the ailments that good nutrition helps defeat.” -Javier, Bronx Representative

✍️🗳️✨“Collaboration, equity, and community building are at the crux of my work. I am excited to support and amplify voices of those growing food in our city.” -Ciara Sidell, Queens Representative

✍️🗳️✨ FSA county committees are a critical component of day-to-day operations, allowing grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.

✍️🗳️✨ From June 16 to Aug. 1, 2026, individuals can nominate themselves or others as a candidate. Tribal Nations and organizations representing farmers or ranchers are also encouraged to nominate candidates. County committee nomination forms are available on the FSA website or from the FSA county office.

✍️🗳️✨ Forms must be postmarked or delivered to the FSA office by Aug. 1, 2025. Voting takes place this fall, and new members and alternates take office on Jan. 1, 2026. For more details, contact a USDA Service Center and visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.

✍️🗳️✨ Thank you for helping ensure FSA county committees represent American agriculture and the producers they are elected to serve. FSA counts on you to nominate and vote!

07/08/2026

We’re back with another FSNYC 101

💦🐠WHAT IS A WATERSHED?

💦🐠A watershed is any area where water, perhaps rain or snow, flows into a body of water, such as a lake. NYC’s watershed is the Catskill/Delaware and Croton. Both provide
water to more than 9 million people and an entire ecosystem.

💦🐠Watersheds are important because they stabilize our soil, clean drinking water, provide recreation and serve many other
ecosystem benefits.

🔗🚨Are you interested in learning more about urban agriculture? Sign up for our monthly newsletter! Stay up to date with the latest info from us and other happenings around the city, link in bio.

07/03/2026

✍️🗳️✨The 2026 USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee election season is officially underway!. If you know an agricultural producer interested in serving on their local FSA County Committee, please submit their name as a nominee.

HEAR FROM OUR CURRENT FSA COMMITTEE!

✍️🗳️✨“I am passionate about fostering programs & initiatives that provide cultural positivity and inclusiveness for people that are under resourced.” - DK Kinard, Manhattan representative

✍️🗳️✨“I am committed to strengthening urban gardens and farms to exist as sites of food access and training urban growers.” -Justin Baker, Staten Island Representative

✍️🗳️✨ FSA county committees are a critical component of day-to-day operations, allowing grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.

✍️🗳️✨ From June 16 to Aug. 1, 2026, individuals can nominate themselves or others as a candidate. Tribal Nations and organizations representing farmers or ranchers are also encouraged to nominate candidates. County committee nomination forms are available on the FSA website or from the FSA county office.

✍️🗳️✨ Forms must be postmarked or delivered to the FSA office by Aug. 1, 2025. Voting takes place this fall, and new members and alternates take office on Jan. 1, 2026. For more details, contact a USDA Service Center and visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.

✍️🗳️✨ Thank you for helping ensure FSA county committees represent American agriculture and the producers they are elected to serve. FSA counts on you to nominate and vote!