Warm and sunny as it is today, it's still too early to plant herbs in my window box - but it's never too soon to check out the next wave of urban farming opportunities in town. While Michelle Obama's White House garden is the most visible entry in the sustainable agriculture movement, New York has firsts of its own, starting with Greenmarket.

In 1976, the Union Square Greenmarket was launched with seven family farmers who sold out their goods by noon; today the citywide program serves more than a quarter-million customers each week. And now, the sustainable agricultural movement is taking root in the form of local community farms.

Last summer, the Red Hook Community Farm, a 1-acre organic farm founded by Added Value, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit, took over a 3-acre plot on Governors Island with the idea of raising and selling enough produce to support its Brooklyn farm. It estimated that during the first year, the Governors Island Farm would generate around $25,000 and that down the line it could offer annual stipends of $1,400 each to its students.

Left: Added Value Co-founder and Director Ian Marvy (center) introduces volunteers to the rigors of farming at Governors Island. Right: Student farmers at the Red Hook Community Farm. Photos courtesy of Added Value.

The parent farm teaches local teenagers about sustainable agriculture in its 26-week programs, which are open to 1,200 students each year. This year, both farms will be inviting volunteers to roll up their sleeves and get dirty six days a week during the growing season, July to November. In addition, during the harvest months, Added Value will operate a farm stand on Governors Island, selling produce grown there. Please visit the Added Value website for upcoming postings and details.

Added Value's next step in their quest for food justice is a partnership with New York City to create the nation's first citywide plan for urban agriculture. Teaming with Design Trust for Public Space, which was an integral part of the High Line planning process, the collaboration will result in a pilot project that demonstrates the vitality of urban agriculture and its importance to New York's public realm.

According to a recent announcement, the Five Borough Farm project will inventory existing agricultural activity in the five boroughs and assess underutilized arable land in order to identify opportunities for City agencies to support urban agriculture. Fellowships awards for the study will be announced soon and the Design Trust estimates that the project will be completed within a year.

Next week, Deborah Marton, Executive director of Design Trust will give a talk about several of the organization's projects and their influence on public spaces in New York City. Design Trust: Building Partnerships to Improve Public Space, Tuesday, March 16, 6:00-8:00 pm at the School of Visual Arts, 136 West 21 Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY. This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to 212.592.2228 or dcrit@sva.edu.

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