NYC SCHOOL FOR URBAN FARMING

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0223510
• Grant No.: 2010-49400-21723
• Proposal No.: 2010-03081
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2010
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2013
• Grant Year: 2010
• Program Code: [BFRDP]- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

Recipient Organization
Just Food, Inc.
1155 Avenue of the Americas, Third Floor
New York,NY 10036

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
In the poorest neighborhoods in New York City (the South Bronx, East and Central Harlem, and North and Central Brooklyn) more than 1 in 3 residents live in poverty. Residents of these neighborhoods, primarily represented by African-American, Latino, and Caribbean populations, are disproportionately affected by diet-related illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. In 2004, 12.5 percent of the city?s adult population reported having diabetes. Adults with the lowest household incomes are more than twice as likely to have diabetes as adults with the highest household incomes. Urban agriculture has been gaining momentum as a solution that will feed, heal, employ, educate and empower communities. At the grassroots level, participation in backyard and community gardening is skyrocketing . People want to grow more healthy food for their families and their communities. The prevalence of urban farming as an entrepreneurial activity is also growing exponentially, as people engage in opportunities to earn an income growing high-quality food on their own. People creatively use space by farming in community gardens, indoors, on rooftops, in small greenhouses, and on under-utilized public, private and government land. Given the current confluence of crises in the food, health, and financial sectors, and the rapidly growing interest in local food systems and urban agriculture, the work of NYC community gardeners and city farmers has been celebrated as cutting edge and there has been an increase in demand for training urban agriculture education programs in NYC. While there is building excitement around urban agriculture, there is a growing recognition that New York does not have enough educational infrastructure to support the growth and expansion of this work. The NYC School of Urban Agriculture will serve to meet this need by providing an agricultural training resource for New York City and the Northeast. New York City School of Urban Agriculture (NYCSUA) will serve as an agricultural training resource for New York City and the Northeast. The program will be available to all urban farmers and aspiring urban agricultural professionals, and will place a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of socially disadvantaged students. The School will target students from low-income households and expand urban agriculture-related economic opportunities for low-income New Yorkers through the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and NYC consumers. As a result, this project will focus its primary outreach and program activities in low-income communities in New York City, with particular emphasis paid to engaging high-need neighborhoods in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn. In the first three years of this project, 3,000-3,500 students will gain increased skills and knowledge of sustainable urban agriculture, food production, preparation, distribution, and/or marketing; 1,600-2,400 students will apply this knowledge, 475-600 students will have enhanced urban-agriculture skills for urban agriculture-related employment, and 60-20 will secure an income stream related to this training.

Animal Health Component

70%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

30%

Applied

70%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
216	0110	1070	10%
216	1499	1070	10%
216	3099	1070	10%
216	3210	1070	10%
216	6299	1070	10%
601	0110	1070	10%
601	1499	1070	10%
601	3099	1070	10%
601	3210	1070	10%
601	6299	1070	10%

Knowledge Area
601 - Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm Management; 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other; 3210 - Egg-type chicken, live animal; 3099 - Bees, honey, and other pollinators, general; 0110 - Soil; 6299 - Marketing, general/other;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;

Keywords

urban agriculture

urban agriculture skills

farming

growing food

job training

green job skills training

community development entrepreneurial skills

food production

food preparation

food distribution

food marketing

new york city

low-income

economic opportunity

urban farmers

rural farmers

Goals / Objectives
The School will be an educational resource for all of New York City, as well as for students from municipalities across the Northeast. While the broader goal is to reach all New York City gardeners, urban farmers, and other individuals who want to learn about growing food, the aim is to ensure that low-income students will have access and that the student body itself will represent the full diversity of New York City. Objective 1 By amplifying the capacity of established and emerging urban agriculture leadership through diverse course offerings in urban agriculture production, preparation, distribution, marketing and advocacy skills, The School will increase the self-reliance of New York City's communities to improve food security and increase food sovereignty in low-income communities. In the first three years, as a result of The School: 3,000-3,600 students will have increased knowledge of sustainable urban agriculture food production, preparation, distribution, advocacy, and/or marketing skills 1,600-2,400 students will apply knowledge of sustainable urban agriculture by growing, preparing, distributing, and/or marketing of local food 225-300 students will engage in community-based sustainable urban agriculture projects 75-150 students will have increased leadership skills Objective 2 The School will provide beginning urban farmers with the knowledge and skills to produce food sustainably and develop and manage innovative marketing activities. 3,000-3,600 students will have increased skills and knowledge (of sustainable urban agriculture, food production, preparation, distribution, and/or marketing) 1,600-2,400 students will apply urban agriculture knowledge (by growing, preparing, distributing, and/or marketing food) 75-150 students will gain increased leadership skills 475-600 students will gain enhanced job skills for urban agriculture-related employment 60-120 students will secure income streams related to farm school skills and training Long Range Outcomes of Project on the Sustainability of Beginning U.S. Farmers The School will play a vital role in the sustainability of beginning farmers, particularly those focusing on urban agriculture. Graduates from The School will engage in urban agriculture projects in New York City, leading to a proliferation of farming and related marketing and entrepreneurial projects in the City. These projects will serve as resources and models for other groups nationally and internationally.

Project Methods
Objective 1: The School will increase the self-reliance of New York City's communities to improve food security and increase food sovereignty in low-income communities. In order to achieve this objective, in the first three years of the project, project partners will: recruit Faculty and develop The School curriculum, conduct marketing and outreach activities to recruit The School students, teach students to grow, market, distribute, and prepare food, teach students to lead urban agriculture projects, and evaluate program challenges and successes. During this three year period, the outputs will be: The School will develop and teach an urban agriculture curriculum faculty will teach 150-190 courses and workshops, and 3,000-3,600 students will participate in courses and workshops. Objective 2: The School will provide beginning urban farmers with the knowledge and skills to produce food sustainably and develop and manage innovative marketing activities. In order to achieve this objective, in the first three years of the project, project partners will: Recruit faculty, conduct outreach activities to recruit students, teach students to grow, market, distribute and prepare food, teach students to become urban agriculture leaders, connect students with apprenticeship, support professional aspirations of alumni network, and evaluate program challenges and successes. During this three year period, the outputs of The School will be: 12-24 Just Food Trainers and partners will be recruited for faculty or guest faculty positions 150 -190 classes will be taught 3,000-3,600 students will participate in classes 10-20 students will be placed in apprentice-ships 10-20 community food projects supported by apprentices trained through the school

Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Socially Disadvantaged & Limited Resource - Students Our goal is that the student body reflects the diversity of New York City, which means that we pay close attention to racial demographics, particularly noting the percentage of African American, Latin American, Asian American, and Native American applicants.We do not particularly target women, but about 70% of our applicants are female. We have three different types of students - Certificate students enrolled in a 2-5 year program; individual course students enrolled in a 4 to 10 session course; workshop students attending a one-time class. Of the Certificate students, 69% are female, 50% are limited resource, and 63% qualify as socially disadvantaged. Over the three year grant reporting period, the percentage of Certificate students who were socially disadvantaged increased from 60% to 67%. Of the Individual course students, 69% are female, 40% are limited resource, and 52% are socially disadvantaged. Over the course of the three year grant reporting period, the percentage of Individual students who were socially disadvantaged increased from 46% to 63%. Of the students enrolled in leadership training, 89% are female and 69% are socially disadvantaged. We do not have demographic details of students at one-time classes. Number: 48 This number represents our Certificate students that qualify as socially disadvantaged. Socially Disadvantaged & Limited Resource - Applicants In the most recent pool of 100 applicants, 60% identify with a group that qualifies as socially disadvantaged. Of the 100 applicants, 53% qualify as limited resource. Farm School NYC offers sliding scale tuition options, based on household size and family income. Our goals also include selecting a class that is diverse with regards to age, gender, geography (borough), and background. Socially Disadvantaged - Faculty Our goal is to recruit a teaching team that reflects the diversity of New York City's population, which includes ensuring that socially disadvantaged individuals with a variety of ethnicities and races are part of our staff. Among our teachers, 14 out of 30 qualify as socially disadvantaged, and 19 are women. Number: 14 Baseline Number: 14 Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Professional development opportunities were offered for teachers and committee members in all Farm School NYC subject areas, free of charge. Farm School NYC has now offered three full years of courses. This included core courses (three years running) and advanced courses (two years running). We have now had two sets of students complete apprenticeships. In addition to the skills listed in the section above, the following opportunities for training and professional development have been provided. Apprenticeships Farm School NYC students are invited to participate in the apprenticeship program after they have met their basic requirements of course work. We work with a network of different urban farming sites around the city who are interested in hosting our students, and those sites fill out an application form with necessary information. We create a list of sites that includes location, hourly requirements, expectations of student, experience of the supervisor, and more, so that students can make an informed decision with their apprenticeship selection. Farm School NYC's role is to cultivate those relationships, to make sure that the apprenticeship sites are supported and that students have a positive educational experience. This year, one of the apprenticeship host sites enjoyed the experience so much that the site supervisor decided to make a personal financial donation to Farm School NYC. We held a year-end evaluation meeting and learned that sites and students found the experience to be valuable. We also received important feedback for how to improve the program in the future. Specifically, students who spent more than one year at a site tended to have a richer experience. Some student apprenticeship accomplishments include:managing and improving an aquaponics system;working with chickens at a compost facility; being in charge of site irrigation and weeding; managing the site beekeeping operation; building and maintaining a compost system; maintaining a rooftop farm; working at the urban farm of a correctional facility; expanding a school garden and chicken project; starting, organizing, and creating curriculum for a church farm project. Years Measured after Initial Training:0 Number of Participants Affected by Change:19 Participant Total for your grant:19 students, 14 sites Changed marketing practices Alumni Network:Support professional aspirations of alumni network. Type:Online learning An intranet site was set up for Farm School NYC students and alumni to find out about job opportunities. 1educational event Type:Field days/Farm visits/Trips and classroom-based course/workshop Alumni organized one farm day and one workshop for continuing professional development opportunities for students and alumni. 2 educational events 30participants 2organizations Type:Other We began research into the viability of starting a Farm School NYC consulting operation to be an income source for alumni, teachers, and Farm School NYC itself. We started a 6 month research project to look into competitors, demand, and other logistics. If it is carried out and successful, this project will provide employment connections to our alumni. 1educational events 1organizations Changed business practices How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? From the beginning, outreach has been an important priority for Farm School NYC, particularly with regards to recruiting a diverse applicant pool. We have hired two grassroots outreach interns working specifically to design our outreach efforts. With our recent partner strategic planning retreat, we identified a need to improve our marketing strategies so that we have an application pool that increasingly matches the population of New York City. We recruited several students to help with outreach efforts, printed brochures and flyers for posting and distributing, and we requested support from our partners. Building an effective outreach strategy that is grassroots and reaches new groups of people continues to be a priority in the upcoming year. In this past year, we tragically lost one of our students, Michael Raven, to suicide. His death deeply affected our community, and his family reached out to connect with Farm School NYC. Because of how committed Michael was to our program and to urban farming, his family asked that in lieu of flowers, friends and family donate money to Farm School NYC. Our program director also spoke at Michael’s funeral service. As a result of all of this, several new students reached out to take classes and become a part of the Farm School NYC community, in honor of continuing Michael’s work. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Faculty 33 temporary job opportunities were provided for Farm School NYC teachers. In the first year of Farm School NYC, 21 faculty were hired to teach classes. Each year, we hire new faculty, and we now have 30 faculty members teaching Farm School NYC courses. Curriculum was improved and completed for the first and second year of the Certificate program. The apprenticeship program was designed and then implemented in 2012. In 2013, the apprenticeship was improved upon for its second year. Plans were developed for additional courses in 2014. An accomplishment particularly worth noting is that among our new faculty, we hired three Farm School NYC alumni to teach three different courses. They brought both previous expertise and their unique experience as Farm School NYC students, and evaluation feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive. In evaluations, students rated their teachers on a scale of 1 to 5 with regards to how knowledgeable the teachers are about their subject. 93% of teachers were rated as "knowledgeable" or "very knowledgeable" by each of their students. Years Measured after Initial Training:0 Number of Participants Affected by Change:30 Participant Total for your grant:30 Change in knowledge &Change in skills and attitude & Change in business practices Student skills We have two different types of classes: individual courses (4 to 10 sessions long) that are part of the larger Certificate program, and one-time workshops. Over the three year grant reporting period, individual courses offered increased from 15 to 21 per year, totalling 57 courses that were attended by a total of 301 people. One-time workshops over the same period totaled 192 and were attended by a total of 3251 people. From course evaluations, we gathered data about change in knowledge over the three year grant reporting period. Students reported a greater than 40% change in the following areas: 57% of students in knowledge of botany. 81% of students in knowledge of characterizing traits of common crop families. 75% of students in understanding of botanical terminology. 82% of students in understanding scientific classifications of plants. 89% of students in knowledge of soils. All students in ability to recognize different tillage approaches. All students in ability to conduct soil tests and interpret results. All students in understanding what soil is made up of and basic physical properties. 73% of students in knowing components of seed starting mixes. 87% of students in knowledge of propagation. 91% of students in understanding wounding and stages of vegetative propagation. 91% of students in understanding different methods of vegetative propagation. 68% of students in knowledge of season extension techniques. 86% of students in understanding methods and materials to use for season extension in this region. 84% of students in asset-based community mapping. All students in ability to create their own asset map in their community. 47% of students in improved leadership skills. 46% of students in understanding of the functioning ecosystem. 46% of students in increased value and appreciation of biodiversity. 54% of students in understanding human vs. natural disturbances and their impacts on ecosystems. 75% of students in confidence to use crop-planning techniques suited to specific real-life projects. 44% of students in knowledge of growing flowers and caring for apple trees. 57% of students in food justice competency. 69% of students in ability to advocate for urban farming. 89% of students in knowledge of irrigation. 90% of students in knowledge of when and why to water. 89% of students in confidence in designing an irrigation system. 62% of students in knowledge of crops management. 75% of students in knowledge of intercropping and companion planting. 59% of students in ability to safely and effectively harvest and store crops. 54% of students in knowledge of pest/disease management. 65% of students in ability to assess a site for potential to grow crops. 75% of students in ability to use management strategies to minimize vegetable diseases. Years Measured after Initial Training: 0 Number of Participants Affected by Change: 301 Participant Total for your grant: 301 Change in skills While all participating students reported an increase in skills, 2 out of 7 graduating students now have farm-related business plans, 1 out of 7 is starting a new urban farm project, and one student is launching a chicken-keeping operation. Alumni Four of our alumni now receive income from teaching farming-related subjects; two of our alumni and three other students have started farming rurally; one of our alumni plans to start farming; one of our alumni was hired as the program assistant for Farm School NYC. We currently have one set of alumni (8 alumni), with another group of students on their way to graduating. Our first group of alumni organized 2 professional development opportunities for themselves, other students, and the larger community. Three of our eight alumni were hired to teach Farm School NYC classes and received very positive feedback from students. Three of our alumni were hired to teach other farm-related courses and workshops. One of our alumni moved to Ithaca, bought land, started his own farm, and has gotten involved with BFRDP grantee Groundswell Center. One of our alumni moved to Toronto to begin a farm/Bed and Breakfast with her husband, and one of our alumni spent several months farming in Hawaii this year. Two of our soon-to-be alumni are also planning their own farming-related businesses. We would be remiss if we did not also include that two of our alumni, who met through the program, are now engaged to be married. Years Measured after Initial Training:1 Number of Participants Affected by Change:8 Participant Total for your grant:8 Evaluation Six student evaluation meetings were held; 67 course evaluations were distributed to students; 1 comprehensive teacher evaluation was conducted by the students; teachers filled out evaluations of their experience. In addition, we organized a stakeholder retreat, consisting of teachers, students, alumni, board and committee members, and host sites, in which marketing was identified as a priority for the school. In total, we had over 50 partners present, and we spent about 19 hours together. Changed business practices

Publications

• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: MAKING UNPROCESSED ACCESSIBLE & LOCALLY GROWN THROUGH URBAN FARMING 10/22/2012 in Eating Rules http://www.justfood.org/sites/default/files/121022_eating_RULES.pdf
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Farm School NYC Seeds Local Urban Food System 01/29/2013 in Urban Gardens http://www.justfood.org/sites/default/files/130129_Urban_Gardens.pdf
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Farm School NYC: A Different Kind of Urban Growth 04/22/2013 in Crain's New York Business http://www.justfood.org/sites/default/files/130422_crains_new_york.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Glassberg, Lauren (2012). Growing Farmers in New York City. WABC evening news. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/120809_ABC_News_0.pdf
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Morrison, Cheryl (2012). I Am, Because We Are. Urban Farm: Sustainable City Living. Magazine. justfood.org/sites/default/files/Karen_Urban_Farm_May-June_2012.pdf
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Ryerson, Nancy (2012). Farm School NYC's Urban Agriculture Students Dig into their Second Year. City Spoonful. Online magazine. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/120313_City_Spoonful.pdf
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Meet Just Foods Jane Hodge, Director of NYCs First Farm School 09/07/2011 in Edible Manhattan. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/110907_Edible_Manhattan_0.pdf
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Yowell, Ed. (2011). Real Farm Bill Stories: Farm School NYC. Food Systems NYC. Monthly newsletter. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/110903_Foodsystems_1.pdf
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Cacciola, J. (2011). Until Monday Only, Sign up for Farm School in the City. Edible Manhattan. Published every two months, with online blog. http://wwww.ediblemanhattan.com/topics/farms-foodshed/until-monday-only-sign-up-for-farm-school-in-the-city/
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Newman, Jessica. "Farm School NYC: The New York City School of Urban Agriculture" (2010). Campus Progress. http://genprogress.org/voices/2010/11/13/16012/farm-school-nyc-the-new-york-city-school-of-urban-agriculture/
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2010 Citation: Matthews, Karen. "Farm School Hits NYC" (2010). Huffington Post. The Internet Newspaper: News Blogs Video Community. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/07/farm-school-hits-nyc_n_780095.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Go! Magazine (2011). The Very Best of New York, Best Green Thumbs. Magazine.

Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: In Farm School NYC's second year, 795 students have taken 64 classes. This includes 3 different types of students - Certificate students enrolled in a 2 to 5 year program; Individual course students enrolled in a 4 to 10 session course; workshop students attending a one-time class. We had 127 applicants for 15 slots in the Certificate program and a subsequent 232 people who applied for individual enrollment for 171 slots. Classes ranged from 1 to 10 sessions long. Curriculum was developed and completed for second year of Certificate program, and advanced courses and apprenticeship program was launched and implemented for the first time. Evaluation of classes were completed. Classes were held at 2 main indoor sites and a total of 6 other indoor sites; site visits and other classes were conducted at 15 urban farms, community gardens, Botanical Gardens, and 2 rural farms. We re-hired 17 Farm School NYC teachers and hired 17 new faculty through targeted recruitment. Student outreach included 4 e-newsletter articles, speaking at 4 events, tabling at 6 events, announcements to 29 food pantry and farmers market partners; brochures were updated. In addition, site visits to 10 rural farms were conducted. Articles about Farm School NYC appeared in 4 magazines, 1 blog, and 1 TV news story. While the exact number of people who were reached is unknown, estimated numbers exceed 147,483, with an additional 3.5 million viewers of WABC's news story on Farm School NYC. PARTICIPANTS: Farm School NYC staff currently consists of one full time project director, and one part-time program assistant. Additional Just Food staff that support Farm School NYC include: Bookkeeper who tracks registration fees and general Farm School NYC accounting; Farm Network Coordinator who organizes farm trips and conducts outreach to possible apprenticeship sites; Administrative Assistant who responds to student inquiries and helps with web support; Fresh Food for All program coordinator, who conducts outreach to food pantries and soup kitchens; City Farms program manager, who coordinates classes and conducts student outreach. Farm School NYC is also managed by an Executive board, and 4 committees that are made up of a diverse group of individuals and organizations involved with the local food and farming movement. The group includes urban farmers, community gardeners, government agencies, botanical gardens, nonprofit staff, other community leaders, and most recently students. The following organizations/agencies are an integral part of Farm School NYC: Bissel Gardens, Black Urban Farmers and Gardeners, Bk Farmyards, Brooklyn Botanic Garden/GreenBridge, Citizens Committee for NY, Cornell Cooperative Extension, The Durst Organization, East New York Farms!, Hattie Carthan Community Garden, Heifer International, Hughes Hubbard, Manhattan Borough Presidents office, New Farmer Development Project, The New York Botanical Garden/Bronx Green-Up, The New York City Community Garden Coalition, The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, The New York State Department of Health, Olympus Garden Club, The Jim and Patty Rouse Charitable Foundation, Taqwa Community Farm, WHY Hunger, Weeksville Heritage Center. Professional development opportunities were offered for teachers and committee members in all Farm School NYC subject areas. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience served through face to face classes includes low income students and students that represent the diversity of New York City. The demographics of the Certificate students enrolled in the 2 year program are as follows: 63% (19) socially disadvantaged, 53% (16) limited resource, 70% (21) female. The demographics of the individual course students were as follows: 46.5% (33) socially disadvantaged, 46% (30) limited resource, 66% (49) female. Of the 34 students enrolled in leadership training, 67.4% were socially disadvantaged and 88.8% were female. Data tracking indicates that grassroots outreach efforts have a significant impact on the diversity of the applicants and the number of applicants within our target demographic. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Although it is too soon to report on enhanced job skills since no students have finished the program at this point, 12 students carried out 15 apprenticeships at a total of 12 new sites. One student continued her apprenticeship once the term ended, one student was hired as the new program assistant for Farm School NYC, at least two students have taken on farming related employment. Three students have started farming in rural areas, and one student is now involved with BFRDP-funded Groundswell Center. In addition, 31 faculty and additional guest speakers gained temporary employment by teaching classes. Training of Trainers (22 evaluations): 41% of students reported a greater than 40% improvement in their leadership skills. Students reported that this course taught them skills that will be useful on the garden or farm. Food Justice (10 evaluations). 60% of students reported a greater than 40% increase in overall competency. 70% of students reported improvement in their ability to advocate for urban farming. Irrigation (12 evaluations): 89% reported a greater than 40% increase in overall knowledge of irrigation. 90% of students reported an increase in knowledge of why and when to water, and 89% students are confident in designing an irrigation system. Crops Planning (12 evaluations): 62% reported a greater than 40% improvement in their overall knowledge of crops management. 75% of students gained a greater than 40% improvement in knowledge of intercropping and companion planting and understand how they can be used practically.Pest, Disease, and Weed Management and ID (8 evaluations): 52% reported a greater than 40% improvement in their overall knowledge of pest/disease/weed management. 62% reported improved ability to assess a site for potential to grow crops. 75% of students reported a significant increase in their ability to use management strategies to minimize vegetable diseases.NYC as an Ecosystem (13 evaluations): 46% of students reported a greater than 40% improvement in their understanding of the functioning ecosystem; 46% of students increased their value and appreciation of biodiversity; 54% reported a significant increase in their understanding of the dynamics of human vs. natural disturbances and their impacts on ecosystems. Crop Production (9 evaluations): 75% of students reported a greater than 40% increase in their confidence to use crop-planning techniques suited to specific real life projects; 44% of students showed a significant increase in their knowledge of growing flowers and caring for apple trees.Season Extension (14 evaluations): 68% of students reported a greater than 40% improvement in their overall knowledge of season extension; 86% of students reported a significant increase in understanding of different types of season extension methods and materials.

Publications

• Hartl, Monique (2012). Making Unprocessed Accessible and Locally Grown Through Urban Farming. Eating Rules. Online blog. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/121022_eating_RULES.pdf
• Glassberg, Lauren (2012). Growing Farmers in New York City. WABC evening news. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/120809_ABC_News_0.pdf.
• Morrison, Cheryl (2012). I Am, Because We Are. Urban Farm: Sustainable City Living. Magazine. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/Karen_Urban_Farm_May-June_201 2.pdf
• Ryerson, Nancy (2012). Farm School NYCs Urban Agriculture Students Dig into Their Second Year. City Spoonful. Online magazine. http://justfood.org/sites/default/files/120313_City_Spoonful.pdf
• Go! Magazine (2011). The Very Best of New York, Best Green Thumbs. Magazine.

Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: In Farm School NYC's pilot year, 1466 students have taken 96 classes. This includes 3 different types of students - Certificate students enrolled in a 2 year program; Individual course students enrolled in a 2 to 12 session course; workshop students attending a one-time class. We had 220 applicants for 15 slots in the Certificate program and a subsequent 200 people who applied for individual enrollment for 72 slots. Classes ranged from 1 to 12 sessions long. Curriculum was developed and completed for first year of Certificate program, and second year advanced courses and apprenticeship program continues to develop. Evaluation of first year classes were completed. Classes were held at 2 main indoor sites and 2 urban farms; additional site visits were conducted to 8 urban farms and 2 rural farms. With targeted recruitment, 30 individuals applied to teach Farm School NYC classes and 21 faculty were hired. Student outreach included 12 e-newsletter articles, posting on 7 websites, speaking at 19 events, tabling at 4 events, posting flyers at 2 locations, 3 mailings, 1 press release, announcements to 100 food pantry participants; 3 brochures were created. In addition, site visits to 13 rural farms were conducted. While the exact number of people who were reached is unknown, estimated numbers exceed 10,000. PARTICIPANTS: Farm School NYC full time staff currently consists of one project director, and formerly consisted of two interim co-directors. Additional Just Food staff that support Farm School NYC include: Bookkeeper who tracks registration fees and general Farm School NYC accounting; Farm Network Coordinator who organizes farm trips and conducts outreach to possible apprenticeship sites; Administrative Assistant who responds to student inquiries; Fresh Food for All program coordinator, who conducts outreach to food pantries and soup kitchens; City Farms program manager, who coordinates classes and conducts student outreach. Farm School NYC is also managed by an Executive board, 4 committees and an advisory council that is made up of a diverse group of individuals and organizations involved with the local food and farming movement. The group includes urban farmers, government agencies, botanical gardens, nonprofit staff, and other community leaders. The following organizations/agencies are an integral part of Farm School NYC: Bissel Gardens, Black Urban Farmers and Gardeners, Bk Farmyards, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens/GreenBridge, Cornell Cooperative Extension, The Durst Organization, East New York Farms!, Genesis Park Community Garden, Green Guerillas, Hattie Carthan Community Garden, Heifer International, Hughes Hubbard, Manhattan Borough Presidents office, McEnroe Organic Farm, The New York Botanical Garden/Bronx Green-Up, The New York City Community Garden Coalition, The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, The New York State Department of Health, Olympus Garden Club, The Jim and Patty Rouse Charitable Foundation, Taqwa Community Farm, WHY Hunger, Weeksville Heritage Center. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience served through face to face classes includes low income students and students that represent the diversity of New York City. The demographics of the Certificate students enrolled in the 2 year program are as follows: 60% (9) socially disadvantaged, 46.7% (7) limited resource, 66.67% (10) female. The demographics of the individual course students were as follows: 46.5% (33) socially disadvantaged, 35.2% (25) limited resource, 67.6% (48) female. Of the 62 students enrolled in leadership training, 85.6% were socially disadvantaged and 79.1% were female. Data tracking indicates that grassroots outreach efforts have a significant impact on the diversity of the applicants and the number of applicants within our target demographic. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
56.2% of participants attending introductory workshops said they are satisfied with what they learned at the workshop. 38.2% of participants said their expectations were exceeded. 44.8% of participants said they will use what they learned at the workshop often; 34.5% said they will use what they learned very often. Of the 10 Certificate students that completed evaluations, 90% have begun at least one new practice since beginning Farm School NYC, and 80% plan to begin at least one new practice in the next 6 months. Although it is too soon to report on enhanced job skills, at least 2 students have started farming or gardening jobs. Training of Trainers (18 evaluations):44% of students reported a greater than 40% improvement in their leadership skills. Students reported that this course taught them skills that will be useful on the garden or farm. Asset-Based Community Mapping(15 evaluations): 84% of students showed a greater than 40% increase in skills. 100% of students reported improved ability to create their own asset map in their community. Food Justice (15 evaluations). 53% of students reported a greater than 40% increase in overall competency. 67% of students reported improvement in their ability to advocate for urban farming. Botany (21 evaluations): 57% reported at least a 40% improvement in their knowledge of botany, and 81% reported a greater knowledge of characterizing traits of common crop families. Students reported that the knowledge they gained about botanical classification, crop families and rotation will help them to be better farmers. Propagation (19 evaluations): 87% reported at least a 40% improvement in their overall knowledge of propagation, and 100% reported improved understanding of wounding and the stages of vegetative propagation process. Growing Soils (12 evaluations): 89% reported at least a 40% improvement in their overall knowledge of soils. 100% reported competency or mastery of techniques, with significant increase in knowledge of soil composition, testing, and management practices related to farming. Irrigation (9 evaluations):58% reported a greater than 40% increase in overall knowledge of irrigation. 100% of students reported that they knew little or nothing about drip irrigation before the course but gained competency or mastery of this skill after the course. Crops Management (17 evaluations): 45% reported a greater than 40% improvement in their overall knowledge of crops management. 59% of students reported increased ability to safely and effectively harvest and store crops. Students reported that their new understanding of weed identification and management will make them better farmers. Pest and Disease Management and ID (6 evaluations): 55% % reported a greater than 40% improvement in their overall knowledge of pest/disease management. 67% reported improved ability to assess a site for potential to grow crops. Transformational Leadership (21 evaluations):57% of students reported a greater than 40% improvement in their leadership skills. 86% of students reported that this course will make them a better farmer. In addition, 21 faculty and 19 guest speakers gained temporary employment by teaching classes.

Publications

• Yowell, Ed. (2011). Real Farm Bill Stories: Farm School NYC. Food Systems NYC. Monthly newsletter. To promote food systems that support improved nutrition and public health, increase access for all to safe and wholesome food, and strengthen and expand the regional farm and food economy. http://www.foodsystemsnyc.org/articles/real-farm-bill-stories-farm-sc hool.
• Cacciola, J. (2011). Until Monday Only, Sign Up for Farm School in the City. Edible Manhattan. Published every two month, with online blog. http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/topics/farms-foodshed/until-monday-onl y-sign-up-for-farm-school-in-the-city/
• Newman, Jessica. Farm School NYC: The New York City School of Urban Agriculture (2010). Campus Progress. Young people working for progressive change. http://www.campusprogress.org/articles/farm_school_nyc_the_new_york_c ity_school_of_urban_agriculture/
• Matthews, Karen. Farm School Hits NYC (2010). Huffington Post. The Internet Newspaper: News Blogs Video Community. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/07/farm-school-hits-nyc_n_78009 5.html