KCC Rebrands Its Urban Oasis

A new addition is a mobile chef kitchen, purchased with funds donated by Con Edison, which allows CFG to conduct cooking demos aimed at increasing healthy eating and showcasing the farms produce in easy-to-replicate recipes. "Having such incredible support from our local assembly district and funders like Con Edison gives us a chance to expand our reach across campus and into the community,” said Suri Duitch, interim president of Kingsborough. 

“Our mission is to provide valuable learning opportunities by promoting gardening, growing nutritious and sustainable food, and cultivating a greater sense of community. We’re now able to offer more volunteering opportunities, including to local high school students; invite children into the garden; and we’ve increased accessibility to meet the needs of our diverse visitors,” added Caravello.

While the footprint remains the same, the entire space has been leveled and reconfigured with safety and accessibility in mind. The walkways were seeded with sustainable clover, replacing the woodchips. Over 30 beds were rebuilt and raised to varying heights, including one that provides wheelchair access. In addition, a hydroponics lab built with a USDA grant is located a short distance away in the T6 building. New to the space are a gazebo providing respite from the sun, a dedicated meditation/yoga space, and a children’s garden.

Planting began in May 2024, resulting in leafy greens such as lettuce, collards, kale, and Swiss chard, as well as tomatoes, peppers, carrots, turnips, squash, herbs, flowers, and more. It will continue until garlic is planted in November. The produce is distributed weekly to the campus community and to KCC’s culinary courses. The farm rests during the winter with a new round of seed propagation beginning in February 2025.

Operated under the auspices of KCC’s Division of Workforce Development, Continuing Education and Strategic Partnerships, a team of work-study students, KCC and Goldstein High School volunteers, interns from KCC’s culinary arts and community health programs, and upper division interns from other colleges work alongside Caravello, CFG gardener Alona Lensky, and hydroponics lab manager Aiden Schoff.

If you’d like to volunteer, visit the farm, located between T2 and T8, on volunteer days: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 2 pm to 5 pm and Wednesdays from 9 am to 11 am. For more information, follow them on Instagram at KCC_CFG.