State Department of Agriculture Announces New Program to Support ...

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball today, in partnership with Cornell University, announced that the Community Garden Leadership Certificate Program is open for applications. The new year-long, online certificate program is open to existing community garden leaders and aims to enhance their skills in critical areas like community engagement, fundraising, volunteer management, and more. This program comes at no cost to participants, with funding for the program provided through the State's Urban Farms and Community Gardens program.

Commissioner Ball said, "Community gardens are unique, valuable spaces that not only help provide accessible sources of fresh, local food, but also provide a space for residents to develop a personal relationship with agriculture while also connecting with their community. Our new Community Garden Leadership Certificate Program offers a great opportunity for our community garden leaders across the state - who are already doing exceptional, essential work - to hone their craft and gain new skills to help them lead robust, resilient community growing spaces. I'm grateful to our partners at Cornell for their work on this initiative and encourage any eligible applicants to take advantage of this opportunity."

Developed in collaboration with the New York State Community Gardens Task Force, the Community Garden Leadership Program is a comprehensive online certificate program designed to elevate current community garden leaders over the course of one year. Through a series of structured modules coupled with opportunities for intentional community engagement, leaders will gain the tools to create strong, sustainable community gardens.

Participants will learn management best practices and operational skills, including community engagement; fundraising and budgeting; succession planning; building dynamic leadership teams; volunteer management; navigating local policy; and more. The program gives participants an opportunity to connect with experienced subject-matter experts and Cornell faculty to foster a supportive distance learning experience. By the end of the program, leaders will be well-prepared to champion their respective organizations and build overall capacity within the community garden sector, paving the way for more resilient and thriving local food systems.

Program applications are being accepted now through October 1, 2024. Up to 15 community garden leaders from across New York State will be selected for the inaugural cohort. More information about the program and how to apply is available here. There is no cost for participants, with participant sponsorship covered by the State's Urban Farms and Community Gardens Program.

About Community Gardens in New York State

New York State is home to more than 3,000 registered or permitted urban and community gardens, which help to build healthier neighborhoods and contribute to sustainable, resilient local food systems by producing healthy and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables for residents. Gardens also offer physical and mental health benefits by providing opportunities to eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables; engage in physical activity; build skills; create green space; beautify vacant lots and revitalize neighborhoods; and create safe spaces and improve social well-being by strengthening local connections.

The Community Garden Leadership Certificate Program builds on the State's ongoing efforts to provide technical assistance to community growing organizations statewide and promote urban agriculture, including the launch of the 2024 New York State Community Gardens Soil Testing Program, which was announced earlier this year and offers free soil testing for community gardens.

A competitive Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant program is also available. The inaugural round of awards was announced in Governor Kathy Hochul's 2022 State of the State Address and dedicated $800,000 to 35 projects across the state. Following this successful launch, the program was renewed and enhanced to $1 million in 2023 and 2024. The program continues to play a critical role in the Governor's commitment to making local food more accessible to all New Yorkers and to encourage more urban farming. Additionally, the Department is currently developing a new Community Gardens Land Access Toolkit, which was announced in Governor Hochul's 2024 State of the State Address. Through its community gardens efforts, the Department of Agriculture and Markets helps foster greener, healthier cities by connecting community groups with state or local agencies to facilitate the use of vacant properties for community gardens.