Urban Farming 101 Workshop: Soil & Compost

Our Urban Farming 101 series of workshops is designed for those newer to farming and gardening, though the information may prove useful to those with more experience as well. The content focuses on urban environments, but many of the concepts are applicable to gardens anywhere. Children ages 13 and up are welcome to participate with an adult chaperone.

Tickets are free but required. Some tickets are reserved for NYC DOE teachers and NYCHA residents; please select the appropriate ticket group when registering (on the Monday before a workshop, any unclaimed tickets remaining in reserve will be released to the general public). We offer multiple events of the same workshop each month, so if one is full please check for other available dates. If you are a DOE teacher or NYCHA resident and can't find available tickets, please reach out to us at [email protected] so we can work with you to find a solution.

Soil & Compost

Learn to manage the health of your vegetable garden soil through a deeper understanding of its composition and biology. Participants will have the option to take home some cover crop seeds to support their gardens.

The Soil & Seed Starting workshop will help you to:

• Determine your soil structure
• Read a soil test
• Maintain the health of your soil biology through effective use of amendments and cover crops
• Adapt to the needs of raised beds vs. in-ground growing
• Choose between a till or no-till approach
• Manage soil moisture through effective watering
• Adjust your practices for annual vs. perennial crops
• Survey different composting systems including 3-bin, single-bin, trench, bokashi, and worm compost

Location: Meet at the entrance to The Battery Urban Farm, marked on this map. Please note that Maps applications often misplace the farm entrance, so you should use these coordinates to help bring you to the meeting spot. Please also note that the northern side of the park is currently under construction, so you will need to enter the park along State Street (the map linked above outlines areas blocked off by construction).

What to bring: Please note that this is an outdoor workshop on our farm site. Wear closed-toe shoes and any layers and sun protection you will need to be comfortable outside for the event. This program will occur light rain or shine; in the event of inclement weather, participants will be e-mailed in advance with notice of any changes.

COVID-19 Policy for Events:

1. We encourage any event participants that are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to please wear a mask while participating in our public programs.
2. We ask that participants stay home if feeling sick or if they've had a known COVID-19 exposure in the last 5 days.

Our Urban Farming 101 series of workshops features both virtual and in-person offerings each month throughout the season, covering the following topics:

• February: Crop Planning
• March: Seed Starting & Seedling Care
• April: Soil & Compost
• May: Plant Biology & Propagation
• June: Supporting Student Learning in the Garden
• July: Integrated Pest Management
• August: Native Plants and Wildlife Habitats
• September: Season Extension & Winter Growing
• October: Seed Saving

You can follow our account here on Eventbrite to receive an update each time a new workshop is available for registration.

This event and all other free programming is funded by donations to The Battery Conservancy. Donate here!

Host or Publisher The Battery Conservancy