2024 Farms and Gardens Season: A Year of Growth, Community, and Innovation
From groundbreaking events to community-driven initiatives, NYCHA’s Farms and Gardens program yielded a veritable bouquet of highlights in 2024, including:
The “Season of Growth” Summit Kickoff
The 2024 program launched with the Season of Growth Summit in April, setting the tone for a year dedicated to cultivating gardens and fostering community connections.
The 2024 Season of Growth Summit set the tone for a year dedicated to cultivating both gardens and community.
Major Milestones and New Builds:
- The Greenhouse Educational Center in Marlboro Houses
In June, the groundbreaking for the Greenhouse Agricultural Education Center at Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn marked a significant step in advancing urban agriculture. The nearly 10,000-square-foot center will include a rooftop greenhouse that supports raising fish and plants.
- The Expansion of Garden Partnerships & Activities
This year also saw continuing and expanding NYCHA Farms and Gardens collaborations with existing and new partners, including NYCHA property managers and grounds staff, the NYC Parks Department’s GreenThumb program, The Bee Conservancy, Workday, the NYC Clean Soil Bank, Outer Seed Shadow, Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, the NYC Department of Transportation, and others.
Through our multi-partner collaboration, NYCHA Farms and Gardens built new garden beds at Vladeck, South Jamaica, and Gravesend Houses and a native pollinator garden at Farragut Houses; enhanced irrigation at Ingersoll Houses; provided mulch and arbor support at Polo Grounds Towers, Lafayette Gardens, and Butler Houses; and delivered over 39 cubic yards of soil and gravel to NYCHA developments. There are now 24 active gardens across NYCHA developments that are part of GreenThumb’s citywide network. Outer Seed Shadow brought together residents of Marble Hill Houses for a joyful community harvest meal to celebrate a successful season of engagement and gardening.
This year saw continuing and expanding NYCHA Farms and Gardens collaborations with existing and new partners.
Community Highlights:
Farms at NYCHA: Growing Food and Connections
In collaboration with partners Green City Force, Red Hook Initiative, New York Botanical Garden’s Bronx Green-Up, and East New York Farms, NYCHA Farms and Gardens now operates urban farms at nine developments across the city. This year we welcomed a standout patio-stage installation by Green City Force at Astoria Houses that hosted activities such as an eco-friendly fashion show. Red Hook Initiative employed 22 apprentices in a youth-focused program designed to teach the techniques of urban agriculture. New York Botanical Garden’s Bronx Green-Up program launched the Castle Hill Agricultural Resident Development program to support young people who are interested in pursuing careers in agriculture. To foster community spirit, at the beginning and end of this year’s growing seasons, our many farm partners hosted a wide variety of events and activities as part of their harvest festivals, including Juneteenth celebrations across NYCHA developments.
In 2024, NYCHA’s farm partners hosted a variety of events and activities
as part of their harvest festivals.
Empowering Resident Gardeners
This year, Amsterdam Houses secured a City Parks Foundation grant to enhance garden spaces, and five developments (LaGuardia, Polo Grounds, Red Hook West, South Jamaica, and Stapleton) earned Resident Climate Action Grants to support green projects.
To finish up the 2024 season, over 4,000 flower bulbs were distributed to residents with registered gardens. Led by NYCHA Health Corps members Nordesia Bowman and Russell Taylor, this initiative promises a colorful bloom to come next spring.
Looking Ahead to 2025
NYCHA gardeners can begin preparing for the next growing season by registering their gardens (see below) or reaching out to NYCHA’s Farms and Gardens team at gardens@nycha.nyc.gov or (212) 306-8282 for assistance. You can also reach out to the team to request flower bulbs.
Do you want to get gardens growing in the green spaces of your development? NYCHA’s Garden Registry Application is a simple, one-page form to complete and submit to your property management office to get the process underway. Download the form in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), or just visit your property management office and request a copy.