From November 2013 to November 2014 UConn Extension in collaboration with Candlelight Farms in New Milford, Connecticut implemented a year-round urban agriculture program in Spanish. Fifteen urban, Hispanic immigrant residents from Danbury, Connecticut started, and 11 finished the year-round training. Most participants were adults between 30 and 45 years of age. The urban agriculture program included three components: classroom instruction, hands-on vegetable production, and entrepreneurship. Classroom instruction as well as field activities were delivered in Spanish. Three modules from the Connecticut’s Master Gardeners curriculum were translated into Spanish. Participants completed botany, entomology, and vegetable production. To measure knowledge gain, participants were administered pre- and post-tests at the beginning and end of each module. Average knowledge gain from each module was as follows: botany 72.4%, vegetable production 70.1%, and entomology 69.6%. In addition, participants were given a cumulative final exam, where 10 out of 11 scored 70% or higher. The urban agriculture program showed the need to develop and deliver Extension programming in Spanish to help Hispanics understand the importance of agriculture literacy in urban cities.

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