New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball today, in partnership with Cornell Soil Health Lab, announced soil testing is available for community gardens through the 2024 New York State Community Gardens Soil Testing Program. The initiative was announced in Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2023 State of the State plan as recommended by the Community Gardens Task Force in its 2023 Annual Report, and will allow eligible food-producing community garden members in New York State to send soil samples for testing up to one time per year without charge.
Commissioner Ball said, “Community gardens are unique, valuable spaces that not only help provide accessible sources of fresh, local food to historically underserved areas, but also provide a space for residents to develop a personal relationship with agriculture while also connecting with their community. Ensuring the quality of good, rich soil through soil testing is an essential tool for anyone growing food, and making soil testing more accessible to those operating community gardens will only make these critical spaces even more valuable. 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.”
Soil testing is a quick and accurate method to determine the relative acidity of the soil, the level of several essential nutrients, as well as the presence of heavy metals. Soil test results can be a helpful tool for farmers and gardeners in determining plant selection, soil preparation, and fertilization to optimize the growth of their crops. Technical support and education for participating growers will be provided by garden specialists from Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York to help gardeners interpret the results and provide recommendations to amend and support their soils for the best food production outcomes.
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Categories: New York, Education