Title

The Oneida County Urban Learning Lab

Relevance

The CCE Oneida Urban Farm Learning Lab provides educational programming and resources to aspiring urban farmers and growers who face small-business start-up barriers within Oneida Counties' urban communities. The program aims to address the increasing interest in urban farming in the Cities of Utica and Rome and to help community members overcome barriers such as lack of space, knowledge/experience, and money by providing hands-on skill development and resources needed to properly manage risks in the areas of production, market development, and business/financial planning.CCE Oneida has provided agriculture education/services for Oneida County farmers to mostly rural communities for many years. In recent years we have reported increased interest in urban farming from residents in the Cities of Utica and Rome. In conjunction with growing interest among our urbanites, we conducted an Urban Farming Interest Survey in 2020, with 164 households and 344 (2.1%) responding. Key findings which served as a basis for our proposal of our Urban Learning Lab Grant; the findings included:44 respondents (27.5%) - have no experience growing to produce;116 respondents (72.5%) - have some/considerable experience growing to produce;78 respondents (51%) - would like to sell products they grow themselves;Major barriers to growing food for income included a lack of:Space, 86 (54.8%)Knowledge/Experience, 60 (38.7%)Money, 56 (36.1%)Other 28 (18%)56 respondents would definitely/53 would possibly (35.7%/33.7%) participate in urban farming education; 58 respondents (35%) - requested notification of future urban farming opportunities;9 respondents (32.9%) - listed race/ethnicity as other than White/CaucasianThe Urban Farming Interest Survey further demonstrated growing interest in urban farming, with 51% of respondents stating they would like to sell what they grow.

Response

The Urban Farm Learning Lab is an initiative of the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Oneida County that aims to provide hands-on skill development and resources to urban farmers to properly manage risks in the areas of production, market development, and business/financial planning. The program aims to address startup barriers such as lack of experience, growing space, and access to capital that many beginning farmers face. Workshop topics include Introduction to Urban Agriculture, Creating a business plan, Growing for success, Production is key, Marketing, Distribution & Preparing for the Market, and Public Market Set-up.Through the program, community members are taught how to plant, maintain, and harvest produce, and are encouraged to distribute their excess produce evenly among participants. The program aims to provide fresh produce to areas that are food deserts located directly in urban centers.The program also generates support for building the urban agriculture landscape through community events that highlight the growers, the lab, and the impact that the lab has had on urban communities. Currently, the program is working on surveying urban growers to understand their interests, experiences, and land needs. The program is also mapping and pinpointing brown spaces in the cities of Utica and Rome that have the potential to be utilized to grow food safely and abundantly.Moreover, CCE Oneida County is facilitating an Urban Growers Group that focuses on continued education through extension programming in production agriculture. The group also assists in working with community members and organizations to revitalize existing community gardens. The program aims to provide insight to local lawmakers on the crucial role that investing in urban agriculture will have as they work to revitalize the city. The program is also working to engage youth in growing and learning job skills, and the basics of food systems entrepreneurship.

Results

The CCE Oneida Urban Farm Learning Lab is valuable to those new to farming in urban areas because it provides them with the necessary skills, resources, and support to overcome startup barriers and establish successful urban farms. By offering workshops on a variety of topics related to urban agriculture and business management, participants gain knowledge and hands-on experience that they may not have otherwise been able to acquire.Moreover, the program's focus on providing fresh produce to food deserts in urban centers helps to improve the health and well-being of community members who may not have easy access to fresh and healthy food options. The program also encourages participants to distribute their excess produce evenly among each other, promoting a sense of community and collaboration.The program's efforts to survey urban growers, map brown spaces, and revitalize community gardens also demonstrate its commitment to building a sustainable and thriving urban agriculture landscape. By engaging with local lawmakers and advocating for investment in urban agriculture, the program is helping to create a more resilient and equitable city.Finally, the program's focus on engaging youth in growing and learning job skills and the basics of food systems entrepreneurship is highly valuable, as it provides them with practical skills and knowledge that can be used to pursue careers in the growing field of urban agriculture.

Public Value Statement

When CCE programs focus on local needs and interests, programs like the Oneida Urban Farm Learning Lab evolve to help resolve needs and issues. The CCE Oneida Urban Farm Learning Lab provides significant value to the public by promoting sustainable and equitable urban agriculture, improving access to fresh and healthy food options, and providing valuable education and job skills training to community members.

Primary Focus Area

Agricultural Systems

Secondary Focus Area

Youth, Family, & Communities

Impact Statement