The 12-week farmer-development program FARMroots in New York City instructs immigrants with agricultural backgrounds on the practicalities of farming in their new country, says the New York Times. The story features Jack Okam, who grows “leafy Nigerian vegetables on American soil with New York City business principles.” The program focused heavily on Latinos when it began three years ago, but now “is now teaching a more diverse group, with participants from the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.” Okam, 63, managed a farm in Nigeria before coming to America a decade ago. He keeps track of the family farm in Nigeria and tends a one-acre market garden on the outskirts of New York City. He hopes to sell his first crop of locally grown vegetables to African food stores this fall – ugu, a fluted pumpkin; three types of eggplant; Nigerian corn; the root vegetable cocoyam; and a spice called nchanwu.