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 in Dec./Jan. every year

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 in Dec./Jan. every year

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 2025 managers

Kieri Keys

"I am attracted to the independence of the manager role and the kinesthetic learning opportunity provided by the farm. I’ve always wanted to develop skills in agricultural crop management, small business proceedings, and community engagement/integration, and Dilmun provides all of that and more. 

I’m excited to start learning about the history of past seasons and planning our crop rotations. I'm particularly looking forward to cherry tomato harvesting."

Class of: 2028

Major: Environment & Sustainability and Plant Science

Hometown: Montclair, NJ

Extracurricular activities: Cornell Women’s rugby E-board, Outdoor Odyssey guide, Black Cat Magazine creative director, Melodramatics Crew

Molly Christel

"I was drawn to Dilmun Hill because of my passion for sustainable agriculture and providing fresh, local food to the community. As a plant sciences student focusing on breeding and genetics, I am interested in exploring how various cultivation techniques influence crop growth and resilience. 

I am excited to gain hands-on experience in organic farming, from planting to harvest, and to deepen my understanding of sustainable growing practices. I'm also looking forward to working with a team of students who share an interest in agriculture and learning from each other's perspectives. Additionally, I’m eager to plan community engagement events that will bring more people to the farm and help connect others with sustainable food systems."

Class of: 2026

Major: Plant Sciences

Hometown: Ridgefield, CT

Extracurricular activities: ultimate frisbee, Outdoor Odyssey

Forrest Checklov

"I learned about Dilmun Hill as a freshman because I was looking for opportunities to grow my gardening skills. My grandma is an avid gardener so I grew up playing in and eating from our garden. I am drawn to the responsibilities offered by managing the farm and the hands-on experience I will gain. 

I am really excited to learn how to take care of different plants. I am also looking forward to planning social events on the farm over the summer!"

Class of: 2026

Major: Philosophy

Hometown: Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

Extracurricular activities: rock climbing, cooking

Izzy Giacobbe

"As an aspiring small-scale farmer, I'm drawn to Dilmun Hill because it offers me a chance to gain hands-on experience in a collaborative environment, contribute meaningfully to a working farm, and grow both personally and professionally within a community that values sustainable agriculture. 

I’m excited to get my hands dirty and dive into the rhythms of the farm. There’s something really satisfying about working with the soil and watching seeds grow into harvestable produce. I’m also looking forward to building community with the crew and learning from each other as we grow together."

Class of: 2026

Major: Entomology 

Home country: Seattle, WA 

Extracurricular activities: radio, road biking, Ithaca Community Gardens

Sophia Caporusso

"My interests in local, sustainable agriculture and agroforestry come from the joy, awe, and wonder I feel when engaging with the land and with foods that can be “wild”-harvested. I am also interested in the ability of these practices to create communities that promote wellbeing and a more equitable distribution of resources.

I am most excited to learn about how to operate the CSA, and to begin engaging with community members through markets and planning events that inspire them to engage in the farm. I also cannot wait to learn about the timing of shiitake production, monitoring and managing the honeyberries and paw paws, and assisting with work on other crops around the farm!"

Class of: 2026

Major: Environment & Sustainability (Concentration in Policy & Governance)

Hometown: Fresh Meadows, Queens, New York

Extracurricular activities: Cornell Chorale, the Free Food Fridge Coalition, Anabel’s Grocery, the Fantastic Fungi Fanatics Club

Portrait of Kieri Keys
Portrait of Molly Christel
Portrait of Forrest Checklov
Portrait of Izzy Giacobbe
Portrait of Sophia Caporusso

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.

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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