Free Webinar to Feature Urban Farmers Discussing Strategies for Managing Risk

Urban farmers face many risks in producing safe and affordable food.  Some of the risks are common to all types of farming; however, many are unique to the urban setting, including zoning regulations, access to water, and managing contaminated soils.  While many cities in the U.S. are working to address some of the needs of urban farmers, profitability remains a challenge.

A free January 15 webinar, “Managing Risks on an Urban Farm,” will focus on the risk management strategies of two urban farms and how they have overcome several of the barriers facing urban farmers today. The webinar is being presented by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and NCAT's ATTRA program and is funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), 2012-68006-30177.

Title: Managing Risks on an Urban Farm

Cost:  Free

Date: January 15, 2015

Time: 11 a.m. Central Standard Time

To Register:  Go online at https://attra.ncat.org/managing_risks/

  

Presenters:

Moderator Andy Pressman; NCAT
Andy Pressman is a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and NCAT's  ATTRA Program. He has a background in small-scale intensive farming systems and works in the fields of organic crop production, local food systems, and urban farming.  Andy and his family also operate Foggy Hill Farm, a small diversified family farm and CSA located in southern New Hampshire.

Farm Manager Greg Maslowe; Newton Community Farm
Greg Maslowe is the Farm Manager of Newton Community Farm (NCF). NCF is located in Newton, MA, a city of 80,000 just on the outskirts of Boston. The farm occupies 2.25 acres and uses intensive methods to grow vegetables and a small amount of fruit on one acre. NCF supports an 80-share Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, a weekly farmers' market, a 5-day per week on-site farm stand, and donations to local food pantries and shelters.  For more information, visit Newton Community Farm's website.

Farm Manager Eric McClam;   City Roots Urban Farm

Eric McClam is the Farm Manager of City Roots Urban Farm, located in downtown Columbia, SC. City Roots is a 2.75 acre USDA Certified Organic farm that produces microgreens year round and operates an aquaponic system and a large scale compost operation and grows over 125 varieties of fruits and vegetables. City Roots sells directly to restaurants, through a CSA program, farmers markets, and hosts on-farm events.  City Roots earned the International Downtown Association’s Pinnacle Award in 2010 for their revitalization of a brown field site.  For more information, visit City Roots' website.