Ashley Helmholdt is the Adult Program Leader and Extension Associate for Cornell Garden-Based Learning. She is the Seed to Supper Coordinator and Master Gardener Volunteer Program leader for the state Cornell Cooperative Extension associations, and her work provides horticulture educators with inspiring, research-based gardening resources and professional development to facilitate engaging, empowering, and relevant learning experiences for children, youth, adults, and communities.
Helmholdt supports 50 Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educators, supports curriculum for 2,200 Master Gardener Volunteers and trains 95 Seed to Supper volunteers statewide annually. She provides monthly professional development for this statewide network, including grant-funded workshops, annual conferences, and statewide volunteer projects. Ashley also supports nine distance learning courses and instructors in topics like Permaculture, Botanical Illustration, Organic Gardening and School and Community Gardening.
Helmholdt’s background is in sustainable urban planning, environmental education, and civic engagement processes focused on food systems, green infrastructure and gardening projects. She has an Urban Planning and Environmental Studies BS from Michigan State University, and an Applied Research in Human Environment Relations MS from Cornell. She’s worked with national and regional non-profits, like Earth Force, National Wildlife Federation and the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition, as well as with local government sustainability and farmers market management, developing new grants and education programs focused on food security and community gardens.
Helmholdt is interested in future work around New York urban garden resiliency, native plant projects, and therapeutic horticulture programs for Master Gardener Volunteers.
See the more information links in the sidebar for some examples of her current and continuing projects.
