CORNELL SMALL FARMS - Key Persons
Agnes is a Senior in CALS studying Animal Science with minors in Spanish and Entomology. She is from Brooklyn, NY and has been interested in agriculture and small-scale farming from a young age; however, her passion for these topics truly ignited while working on the summer Farm Crew at the Mountain School in Vershire, VT in high school. Since arriving at Cornell, she has spent much of her time working with sheep, including most recently a research project to explore grazing sheep on solar panel arrays. More broadly, Agnes is interested in community-based farming, agriculture education and outreach, and supporting Spanish speaking farmers. Agnes is thrilled to be joining the Cornell Small Farms Program team this Fall!
Job Titles:
- SWNY Regional Livestock and Beginning Farm Specialist
Anna is a junior in CALS studying Agricultural Science with a minor in Community Food Systems. She comes from suburban Putnam County NY but has always been drawn to farms. Her ag interests started with horses, but quickly turned to sustainable livestock, and then to food issues. Anna is interested in a holistic view of the food system with an emphasis on bridging the gap between the farming community and underserved populations in search of good food. With a love for small ruminants and a desire to help fix the food system, Anna was thrilled to join the Small Farms team in January 2019.
Job Titles:
- Agriculture Program Coordinator
Avery is a senior in CALS majoring in Agricultural Sciences. Avery's interest in agriculture began when she started raising laying hens and selling eggs in middle school. In 2021, Avery founded Red Wing Farm, a small market garden located on Grindstone Island in northern New York. After her experience managing a farm, Avery is excited to be learning more about sustainable management practices for small farms in New York State. When she's not studying or in her garden, Avery loves to spend time working on fiber arts, walking her dog, or cross-country skiing in her hometown in southern Vermont.
Job Titles:
- Veterans Project Associate
Job Titles:
- Senior Agriculture Program Team Leader
Claire worked with the program during the Summer of 2019, as she was preparing to start her senior year as a Plant Science major in CALS. She is concentrating in sustainable plant production, and hopes to one day work in extension to help farmers implement sustainable practices that are both economically feasible for them and good for the planet. She is from a small town in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where she learned to appreciate nature and great farm fresh food. She is excited to have the opportunity to both help out with Small Farms programming and get her hands dirty on the research farm this summer.
Claire is a senior in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She chose an interdisciplinary major where she could blend her passions for small-scale agriculture and education. Claire comes from a small dairy farm in Pine Plains, NY, where she grew an appreciation for the natural environment, but it was through FFA that she developed a passion for education. She hopes to one day bring agriculture to her classroom and to support community agriculture.
Job Titles:
- Cornell Vegetable Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Delia is a sophomore in CALS majoring in Environment & Sustainability. Back in her home state of Colorado, she was involved in student newspaper, vegetable gardening, and helped process poultry with a local family farm. Delia is looking forward to expanding the scope of her writing to outreach for Cornell Small Farms, and is thrilled to be a part of the team. Her interest in agriculture began with her own small flock of chickens, and she's excited to expand her agriculture knowledge and practice.
Job Titles:
- Regional Vegetable Specialist / 6064 Route 22, Suite 5
Job Titles:
- Resource Educator / Ag Development Specialist
Job Titles:
- Executive Director and Ag Issues Leader
Job Titles:
- Executive Director / Ag Issues Leader
Job Titles:
- Agriculture & Horticulture Issue Leader
Griffin is a rising junior in CALS majoring in plant sciences. Hailing from the small town of Hopewell Junction in the Hudson Valley region of New York, his passion for agriculture began when he volunteered at community supported agriculture (CSA) programs with his family. Griffin's interest in plant biology, combined with his experience working on a local organic vegetable farm and an apple orchard, inspired him to conduct research on the use of soil amendments in various strawberry production systems. He hopes to continue researching sustainable management practices, while also improving food access to rural communities.
Job Titles:
- Agriculture Implementation Specialist
Job Titles:
- Horticulture Program Manager
Isamaris es de Puerto Rico, creció en la ciudad, pero su familia es del campo. Sus veranos los solía pasar en la casa de sus abuelos, donde su abuelo es agricultor. Él le enseñó la importancia de cosechar nuestra tierra y conservarla para las futuras generaciones. Gracias a él nació su pasión por la agricultura y está haciendo un bachillerato en Agronomía y una secuencia curricular en Recursos Naturales en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Mayagüez. También, es parte del equipo de pista y campo de la universidad. Participa del internado en Manejo de Sostenibilidad Agrícola (SuMAS) en colaboración con la University of Cornell, NY. Gracias a esta oportunidad trabajó en la Finca La Zafra y junto con Cornell Small Farms Program. His goals for the future are to graduate as a conservation agronomist and to inspire others to take care of our soils and nature.
Isamaris is from Puerto Rico, she grew up in the city, but her family is from the countryside. He used to spend his summers at his grandparents' house, where his grandfather is a farmer. He taught her the importance of harvesting our land and preserving it for future generations. Thanks to him, her passion for agriculture was born and she is doing a bachelor's degree in Agronomy and a curricular sequence in Natural Resources at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Also, he is part of the varsity track and field team. He participates in the Agricultural Sustainability Management Internship (SuMAS) in collaboration with the University of Cornell, NY. Thanks to this opportunity, he worked at Finca La Zafra and with the Cornell Small Farms Program. His goals for the future are to graduate as a conservation agronomist and to inspire others to take care of our soils and nature.
Job Titles:
- Agriculture Outreach Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Agriculture and Food System Educator
Job Titles:
- Agricultural Communications Specialist
Job Titles:
- Senior Agriculture Economic Specialist
Jules is a sophomore in CALS studying Plant Sciences. They were born and raised in New York City, which begs the question: why plants? This passion for agriculture was inspired by years of work with the small but growing agricultural infrastructure system of New York City, which included community gardens, compost programs, and farmer's markets. These experiences opened their eyes to the lack of access to fresh, sustainable, and healthy food in cities. Jules hopes to combine agricultural re-regionalization and agroecology concepts in order to promote the production of sustainable, local, and affordable produce for all.
Juli worked as a student intern for the Small Farms Program during the summer of 2019. She is a senior studying Design and Environmental Analysis and hopes to do design work with a sustainability focus in the future. Over the summer, Juli helped the Small Farms Program with their redesign. This involved creating templates for print publications, powerpoint presentations, and other communications tools that are consistent with the program's new branding.
Job Titles:
- Cornell Vegetable Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Job Titles:
- Online Course Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Team Leader, Business Management Specialist
Kelsie is from southwest Missouri and grew up on a 150-acre farm helping her family buy and sell horses and cattle. She credits FFA for finding her passion for agriculture and food issues and desiring a career as an "agvocate." Since coming to Cornell, she has gained interest in local production, global food issues, and environmental impacts of and on agriculture. She joined the Cornell Small Farms Program in May of 2018 and is excited to gain experience to complement coursework in the Agricultural Sciences major and Communication major.
Job Titles:
- Agriculture Program Leader
Job Titles:
- Agricultural Economic Development Specialist
Job Titles:
- Agricultural and Natural Resources Issues Leader
Job Titles:
- Agriculture Program Leader
Job Titles:
- Local Food Program Leader & Harvest Kitchen Manager
Job Titles:
- Ag Business Specialist - SCDFC
Job Titles:
- Sustainable Agriculture Educator
Job Titles:
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Issues Leader
Drawn to the cultural relationships of people and landscapes - with their attendant ecological, economic, political, and social consequences - Milo studies "Comparative philosophies of land use" through the interdisciplinary College Scholars Program. Having also interned for the Cornell Orchards and the Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab, Milo joined the Small Farms Program in Fall 2018, and focused on the 2019 revision of the Guide to Farming in New York. Born and grazed in California, Milo is now back out West in the high desert country at Deep Springs.
Job Titles:
- Urban Agriculture Specialist
Job Titles:
- Business Management Specialist
Job Titles:
- Beginning Farmer Project Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Veterans Project Associate
Nina worked as a student intern for the Small Farms Program in 2019. She is a 5th year undergraduate student pursuing an independent major in agroecology in an effort to gain a nuanced view of the social and scientific sides of agriculture. She hopes to work to aid small farmers in adopting agroecological growing practices.
Job Titles:
- Agriculture Program Director / Floriculture Specialist
Olivia is a senior in CALS studying Environment and Sustainability with a minor in Public Health. Olivia's passion for farming began in high school and has continued throughout college, where she's worked on farms in Maine, and the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley regions of New York. She is interested in the role that agriculture plays in the intersection between human and environmental health. Specifically, she is interested in combining farmer equity with restorative agricultural practices to improve food systems on a more holistic level.
Job Titles:
- Economic Development Specialist
Job Titles:
- Urban Agriculture Specialist, Harvest NY
Sammi is a sophomore in CALS studying International Agriculture and Rural Development. After moving to New York City, seeing the differences between her neighborhood and where she attended school led her to realize the direct link between food access and health and inspired her to learn more about how urban agriculture can help promote food security while empowering communities. She is also interested in learning more about the global food system and how indigenous smallholder farming practices can provide solutions to our climate crisis. She is excited to start working with Cornell Small Farms and gain experience working with and supporting small farms across New York State!
Job Titles:
- Agriculture & Horticulture Program Leader
Job Titles:
- Agricultural Entrepreneur and Market Development Educator
- CAAHP Representative, Agricultural Entrepreneur and Market Development Educator
- CAAHP, Agriculture Entrepreneur and Market Development / 415 Lower Main St
Stephen is a junior in CALS studying Plant Sciences with a concentration in Organic Agriculture and minors in Soil Science and Crop Management. He managed a vegetable garden as a Master Gardener in high school and has now scaled up that passion to sustainable vegetable production on small-scale farms. He is interested in improving agroecological practices and making them more accessible to farmers with the overarching goal of creating a more resilient food system. After a primarily virtual semester, Stephen is excited to get his hands dirty at the research farm this summer!
Job Titles:
- Agroforestry and Mushroom Specialist
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director / Agriculture Issue Leader
Talia is originally from San Diego, CA, but her passion for agriculture mostly developed on the coast of Maine, where she lived and worked on an educational diversified farm throughout parts of her high school years. Since then, Talia has spent time working on various farms in both Vermont and Arkansas, which has further solidified her interest in small-scale agriculture and its myriad intersections with community welfare, environmental sustainability, and education. She is a senior in the English department at Cornell and began working for the Cornell Small Farms Program in early 2018. Talia also works for the Local & Regional Food Systems initiative.
Job Titles:
- Bilingual Communications Specialist
Job Titles:
- Urban Agriculture Specialist
- Urban Agriculture Specialist, Harvest NY
Yidi is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Psychology. She is interested in exploring how different subjects can serve as an artistic method and combine with psychology to contribute to the variety of therapeutic approaches. Her family has been participating in the local collaborated farms at Schenectady for many years. During the pandemic, she noticed that the farm work not only served as a way of planting and harvesting but also brought residents a sense of achievement and became a great way of relaxation and reducing the pressure and loneliness due to isolation. As an Army Veteran, she also hopes to support the Veteran group's mental health by providing opportunities for them to use their agricultural skills from the military.
Job Titles:
- Urban Agriculture Specialist, Harvest NY
Zoë is a senior in CALS studying Environmental Science with a concentration in Agroecology and a minor in Community Food Systems. During the summer of 2019, she was one of the student managers of Dilmun Hill, Cornell's organic student farm, where she learned not only about growing food first-hand, but also about building community around food and farming. She is interested in outreach and working with farmers to adopt agroecological farming methods and building stronger local food systems. Zoë is very excited to be joining the Small Farms team in June 2020, although amidst a pandemic and nationwide unrest, as this context only further proves the importance of small-scale diverse and local food systems and farmers.