PUA 101: Deciding Where to Farm in the City

Are you interested in commercial farming in the city? Or are you an urban planner or urban agriculture advocate who wants to create better support for urban farms in your city? The courses in this series titled, The Promise of Urban Agriculture are designed to help you understand the practices and policies that support commercial urban farming. We use the term 'commercial' to include any farm that sells products to support some or all of the farm's activities.

This course, "Deciding Where to Farm in the City," covers creating a commercial urban farm with community in mind, considerations when accessing urban land, and regulations affecting farming in cities.

Target Audience

Aspiring/Beginner – This course assumes that participants have some food production experience in either an urban or rural setting. Participants do not need to have land or know what they will grow – but be interested exploring the factors to consider to establish a commercial urban farm.

Course Objectives

Upon completing "Deciding Where to Farm in the City," you will be able to:

  • Identify the key physical, economic, and social factors to be included in urban farm site assessment and development.
  • Recognize opportunities and constraints to urban land access for farming.
  • Understand how the local regulatory and policy environment might impact urban agriculture activities.

Course Schedule

This course is self-paced and happens on your own time, with videos, readings, and assignments here in Teachable, our virtual classroom.


Your Instructor


PUA 101 Team
PUA 101 Team

Sheena Tesch is the Deputy Director of North Madison Programs at Rooted.

Yolanda Gonzalez is an Urban Agriculture Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY.

Anu Rangarajan, PhD, is the Cornell University State Fresh Market Vegetable Specialist and Director of the Cornell Small Farms Program.



The Promise of Urban Agriculture courses were created in fulfillment of a cooperative research agreement (20-TMMSD-NY-0005) between U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS), Cornell University Small Farms Program, and Rooted WI, Inc. (dba Rooted). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

Course Curriculum



Frequently Asked Questions


How long do I have access to the course?
This course is free until January 31, 2025. To retain free, unlimited access to course materials after this date, please complete all lessons and submit your feedback in both the Pre and Post course surveys found in the course.
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and is completely self-paced. You decide when you start, how fast it goes, and when you finish.
Can I receive proof that I completed this course?
A course completion certificate will be automatically available to you when you complete all aspects of this course.
What other courses do you offer on Urban Agriculture?
Within The Promise of Urban Agriculture project, we currently offer three courses for growers and one course for planners and policy makers. Learn more here: https://smallfarmcourses.com/p/urban-ag

Get started now!