Get your hands dirty with us!
Cornell AES manages nine research farms and 127,000 square feet of greenhouse space on the Ithaca campus and across New York state. While these facilities are primarily designed to support research, they are also used as unique teaching environments for dozens of Cornell undergraduate courses covering topics in plant science, soil science, entomology, food systems, agricultural machinery, and more.
On-farm teaching
Insect Ecology students learn at Dilmun Hill
"For a lot of people, it’s easier to ask good questions if you’re physically seeing what’s happening. Our natural observations came because we went out to the farm. Insect Ecology is not about whether you can memorize a concept, it’s whether you have curiosity to develop your own ideas." Natalie Brennan ‘24
On-farm teaching
Students learn soil science in the field
“Because of this class, I pursued a soils minor – it definitely made me a little bit of a nerd for soil types. ... You wouldn’t be able to wrap your head around everything you learn in class without getting your hands into the soil in the fields.” Emily McFadden ’25
On-farm teaching
Cultivating future agricultural leaders at Cornell Orchards
“Pretty much all of the labs were hands-on: we pruned trees, grafted trees, learned about different rootstocks and why they’re used, and learned about pesticide management. It was most interesting to see all the different techniques used over time, including the newest techniques coming out now.” Lane McCombe ’26
On-farm teaching
Engineering students learn by doing at Cornell AES farm
"We got our hands dirty by taking samples from Cayuga Lake, wading knee-deep in streams, drilling wells on research farms, and sampling soil. We then analyzed the collected data to understand and contextualize the real-life conditions we encountered in the field.” Brooke Paykin ‘24
Courses teaching at Cornell AES farms
- BEE 4270 – Water Measurement and Analysis Methods
- BIOEE 4550 – Insect Ecology
- FDSC 4340/6340 – Cider Production Laboratory
- GDEV 3030/5030 – FoodCycle: Systems Thinking Toward Circular Economy for Organic Resources
- PLBR 4080/6080 – Methods of Plant Breeding Laboratory
- PLHRT 1102 – Hands-On Horticulture for Gardeners
- PLHRT 3350/5350 – Sustainable Orchard Management
- PLHRT 4500/6500 – Fruit Crop Physiology
- PLHRT 4931 – It's Just Grass: Grassing the Urban Eden
- PLSCI 1101 – Plant Science and Systems
- PLSCI 1110 – Pathways to Success in Agriculture and Plant Sciences
- PLSCI 1300/GDEV 1300 – Just Food: Exploring the Modern Food System
- PLSCI 1900 – Sustainable Agriculture: Food, Farming, and the Future
- PLSCI 2110/5110 – Field Crop Systems
- PLSCI 2600/PLSCI 5600 – Soil Science
- PLSCI 2940 – Introduction to Agricultural Machinery
- PLSCI 3800 – Principles and Practices in Certified Organic Agriculture
- PLSCI 4520/PLSCI 6520 – Berry Crops: Culture and Management
- VIEN 2204/5204 – Principles and Practices of Growing Grapes and Making Wines
- VIEN 3610 – Vineyard Management I
- VIEN 3620 – Vineyard Management II
- VIEN 4500/4510 – Advanced Winemaking Theory and Practice I
- VIEN 5610 – Vineyard Management I
- VIEN 5620 – Vineyard Management II
Courses teaching at Cornell AES greenhouses
- ENTOM 4440 – Integrated Pest Management
- PLBRG 2250 – Plant Genetics
- PLHRT 1102 – Hands-On Horticulture for Gardeners
- PLHRT 4175 – Production and Management of Greenhouse Crops
- PLHRT 5175 – Production and Management of Greenhouse Crops
- PLSCI 1420 / PLBIO 3421 – Functional Plant Biology and Plant Physiology
- PLSCI 2013 – Mushrooms, Molds and More
- PLSCI 2110/5110 – Field Crop Systems
- PLSCI 2410 – Introduction to Plant Diversity and Evolution
- PLSCI 2480 – Vascular Plant Systematics
- PLSCI 3010 – Biology and Management of Plant Diseases
- PLSCI 3025 – Hydroponic Food Crop Production and Management
- PLSCI 3150/5150 – Weed Biology and Management
- PLSCI 3450 – Basic Plant Anatomy
- PLSCI 4020 – Plant Propagation
- PLSCI 5025 – Hydroponic Food Crop Production and Management
- PLSCI 6020 – Plant Propagation
- PLSCI 6140 – Weed Ecology and Management
- PLSCS 2600/5600 – Soil Science
- PLSCS 3210/5210 – Soil and Crop Management for Sustainability
- PLSCS 3800 – Principles and Practices in Organic Agriculture
- PLSCS 4125/6125 – Cover Crops in Agroecosystems
- PLSCS 4660 – Soil Ecology
Note: not all courses are offered every semester
For more information about Cornell courses: Cornell Class Roster