The NYU Urban Farm Lab is an urban farm located on Houston Street in Manhattan and is used as teaching space for the Urban Agriculture class. The farm area also has some beds that are used by residents of Silver Towers. The Farm allows students to get hands-on experience with planting, harvesting and winterizing gardens. Managing the farm is Melissa Metrick, instructor for Steinhardt’s Introduction to Urban Agriculture class and Farm Manager at Roberta’s Pizza in Brooklyn, NY. Roberta’s is another example of urban forming worth further exploration. The farm is a moderate size with a lot growing in the space. This year there were two classes that farmed the student spaces. The students from the Introduction to Urban Agriculture class spend about
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One is companion growing. Near the corn was cucumbers, the flowers of cucumber can deter come bug that can harm corn crops. With the tomatoes there was basil. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes, improves growth and flavor of the vegetables. When planting, most of the vegetables are planted using the square foot planting method and the farm uses organic planting methods. Another cool aspect of the farm is the on-site composter. The farm uses an easy to turn bins that assist in speeding up the process by frequent oxygen and heat retention. The fam uses a rotation of cover crops and harvest crops to retain soil quality. The design of the farm is mostly in ground beds mixed with a few raised beds. There is some opportunity at the farm to adjust crop locations, such as the location of the tomatoes which may have overshadowed some of the surrounding crops. At times there is a variance of care in the teaching bed versus the resident beds. Luckily, for the farm and NYU students, this deviation still allows for teaching material.
The NYU urban garden makes farming feel accessible urban agriculture is simple. The gardening skill and green thumbs that are necessary for traditional agriculture feel more doable when working in an urban space. The NYU urban garden allows for the continued growth of fresh food
One is companion growing. Near the corn was cucumbers, the flowers of cucumber can deter come bug that can harm corn crops. With the tomatoes there was basil. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes, improves growth and flavor of the vegetables. When planting, most of the vegetables are planted using the square foot planting method and the farm uses organic planting methods. Another cool aspect of the farm is the on-site composter. The farm uses an easy to turn bins that assist in speeding up the process by frequent oxygen and heat retention. The fam uses a rotation of cover crops and harvest crops to retain soil quality. The design of the farm is mostly in ground beds mixed with a few raised beds. There is some opportunity at the farm to adjust crop locations, such as the location of the tomatoes which may have overshadowed some of the surrounding crops. At times there is a variance of care in the teaching bed versus the resident beds. Luckily, for the farm and NYU students, this deviation still allows for teaching material.
The NYU urban garden makes farming feel accessible urban agriculture is simple. The gardening skill and green thumbs that are necessary for traditional agriculture feel more doable when working in an urban space. The NYU urban garden allows for the continued growth of fresh food