Get Involved

Join the Dilmun Hill club

• The best way for students to start connecting with Dilmun Hill
• Participate in club sponsored events and activities during the academic year
• Open to all undergraduate and graduate students

Become a student farm manager

• Paid positions to manage a sustainable vegetable farm
• Open to all undergraduates (not seniors)
• Part time in spring and fall, full time in summer
• Positions open each Dec./Jan.

Join the Steering Committee

• Unpaid leadership positions to assist with farm logistics and event outreach
• Open to all undergraduates and graduate students
• Bring your skills and interests to the team
• Positions open each Dec./Jan.

A group of students and visitors at the farm with food and music

Our community

We are a student-run farm that has been practicing sustainable agriculture on Cornell's campus since 1996. Our community is the backbone of the farm – it makes it all work, and it makes it fun. Running a student farm is as much about organizing, budgeting, and growing vegetables as it is about working jointly as a team. Join us!

Student Farm Managers

The farm managers are in charge of all daily operations at Dilmun Hill, including the sustainable vegetable production, sales and marketing, and donation of produce. Managers are also responsible for outreach and education efforts such as hosting tours, events and classes. This is an incredible opportunity for students interested in small-scale, fresh market vegetable production. Responsibilities are split up between the different managers.

Being a farm manager is a full time paid position over the summer months and a part-time position during the fall and spring semesters. Managers must be undergraduate students at Cornell and are also eligible to earn academic credits. Undergraduate students from all colleges and majors at Cornell are welcome to apply, no previous farming experience is required. We send out a call for applications each December/January. 

Meet our 2026 managers

Jamora Arroyo-Jefferson

"Growing up in Miami, I fell in love with the beauty of cultivating life from seed to fruit and learned that food is both medicine as well as one connection to my culture. I am passionate about hands on farming, science education, and advancing biofortification to grow more nutritious, resilient crops. My goal is to become a NASA Space Farmer, helping shape the future of food for Earth and beyond."

 

Class of: 2028

Major: Agricultural Science, with a minor in Plant Breeding

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Extracurricular activities: Education and Outreach Project Team Member, Dilmun Hill Student Farm, Volunteer and Former Program Assistant at the Sciencenter, Dancer in the Tango Club, Artisan in the Handwork Cooperative

Shabana Mahdis

“My connection to farming began in my childhood in Afghanistan, where my family and I grew our own vegetables. That experience shaped how I think about food - not just as something we consume, but as tied to family, resilience, and self-sufficiency. Learning about Dilmun Hill in my Just Food course felt like a return to those roots in a new context, blending farming with sustainability, education, and community. 

This season, I’m excited to gain hands-on skills like planting and soil management while understanding how farms support food access, environmental sustainability, build connections, and create meaningful impact.”

Class of: 2029

Major: Global Development

Home country: Badakhshan, Afghanistan

Extracurricular activities: At Cornell: Secretary of the Afghan Student Association, planning team for the International Student Association, CALS Ambassador for prospective students. Beyond campus: mentor for Afghan girls who are currently banned from formal education, and photography

Masha Avrutsky

"After a gap year working on farms all over the world, I became passionate about local food systems and small community networks. I learned how incredibly difficult but rewarding small-scale organic farming is and gained deep appreciation for those who dedicate their lives to it. Dilmun offered an opportunity to continue to explore these interests while stepping into a leadership position and building community on and off campus. 

I am super excited to get my hands in the dirt after a long winter, connect with fellow managers, and though it’s a long way away, I can’t wait for pawpaw season."

Class of: 2029

Major: Prospective Global Development

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Extracurricular activities: I’m in a folk-country band called Vaguely Familiar, help organize live music events, lead meditations, and play ultimate frisbee. I am also a student advocate for incarcerated individuals in NYC, and am a staff member at Anabel’s Grocery.

Kannan Chockalingam

"I’ve always really liked farming and the community/atmosphere at Dilmun seems like it could be a great place for me to meet amazing people and have a really fun summer!

I’m really excited to meet my fellow farm managers and get engaged with Dilmun. I’ve heard really good things about Ithaca summer so I'm super excited to see what Ithaca has to offer during the warmer months of the year. Finally I’m really excited to start farming again, it was something I really enjoyed doing in high school!"

Class of: 2028

Major: Economics & Environment and Sustainability

Hometown: Sudbury, MA

Extracurricular activities: Cornell Tarana Accapella, Social Business Consulting Cornell

Bryn Terwilliger

"Before transferring to Cornell in Fall 2025, I discovered my passion for agriculture at Bluebird Trail Farm in my hometown. I worked on their CSA program, supported youth education, assisted with daily operations, led tours, and joined outreach through their partnership with Cornell’s Veggie Van. Learning about Cornell’s student-run farm, where managers lead production, marketing, and outreach, I immediately knew it was exactly where I wanted to be.

I’m beyond thrilled to be part of Dilmun’s 30th anniversary season, develop crop plans, explore IPM, collaborate with the other incredible student managers, get my hands dirty and support a strong growing season."

Class of: 2027

Major: Agricultural Science, Concentration in Sustainable Cropping Systems Management

Hometown: Corning, NY

Extracurricular activities: At Cornell: member of the agricultural sorority Alpha Psi, Cornell Tradition Fellow, Cornell Botanical Gardens. Beyond campus: crafting, enjoying nature, yoga/working out, spending time with my family, friends, and cats, traveling, and finding new coffee shops.

Jamora with protective gear in a greenhouse
Portrait of Shabana
Masha walking on a grassy path
Portrait of Kannan
Bryn Terwilliger with a cow on campus

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is a small working group of dedicated students who facilitate governance and community building around Dilmun Hill. Members support the farm by attending weekly planning meetings, organizing social events, and helping farm managers with work parties and farm jobs. The committee is in charge of planning and implementing policy and manages logistical and administrative needs. It functions with a non-hierarchical consensus-based structure.

Membership on the Steering Committee is open to undergraduates, one graduate student, and one non-student/community member. Undergraduate members of the Steering Committee may choose to receive one independent study credit per semester. We send out a call for applications for new Steering Committee members each December/January. A diversity of interests and expertise are welcome. Apply now to join the committee in 2026. 

Volunteers

Volunteers are a vital part of our community. We could not get the work done without them. Throughout the year we host work parties, opening the farm to members of the Cornell and Ithaca community for an afternoon of fun in the fields. They help with anything from preparing the beds, to planting, and weeding, and our favorite part: harvesting. In turn, volunteers learn about sustainable agricultural practices, join a fun community of farm-nuts and foodies, and often go home with fresh, organically grown produce.

Student Researchers

Student researchers conduct their own research at the farm. They also help the managers with daily operations and 2 to 4 hours of field work a week. If you feel that your research project is a good fit with our organically managed student farm and mission, we would like to hear about it!

  • Contact rmm325 [at] cornell.edu (Ryan Maher), Organic Farm Coordinator, if you are interested in conducting research at Dilmun Hill.

Faculty, Staff, Student Advisory Board (FSSAB)

The FSSAB assists in the creation of crucial policy for the farm and provides support and advice. It also helps to provide continuity of knowledge and operational procedures. The FSSAB consists of four faculty and staff board members, the Cornell AES organic coordinator, and four students that are former Dilmun Hill managers or Steering Committee members.

Organic Farm Coordinator

The organic coordinator is so much more than the supervisor of the farm managers: they are an advisor and mentor on any matter concerning the farm, may it be agricultural or administrative; they are the main staff liaison with the University and Cornell AES; they provide direct support and input to student managers and Steering Committee members. 

Ryan Maher with two students
Cornell AES organic coordinator Ryan Maher in the middle, with two student managers

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