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Mellon growing in grow bag

Agriculture & Food Systems

With an eye toward sustainability, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, better energy efficiency, and increased farm resilience, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) agriculture specialists and educators closely monitor the rapidly changing environment farmers are working within. Tapping into the latest research and best practices, ag specialists help growers and producers combat an increasingly uncertain world. 

To see what programs are offered in your area, visit or contact a local office.

CCE appoints Judson Reid agriculture and food systems critical issue lead

Featured Programs

two men stand in a vineyard with grapes in the foreground
Regional Agriculture Programs

CCE regional agriculture teams are comprised of specialists who serve multi-county regions throughout New York state, providing research-based information, programs and technical assistance to dairy, livestock, field crops, vegetable, grape and fruit producers.

woman with cat puts her hand through a fence with sheep
Cornell Small Farms

The Cornell Small Farms program is a partnership between Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and CCE that connects small farm owners and operators with a variety of educational opportunities including Labor Ready Farmer, Baskets to Pallets, Farm Ops and others.

students work in a garden next to a fence
Harvest New York

CCE's Harvest New York specialists support workforce development and business expansion with a focus on diary food processing, urban agriculture, farm-based beverages, local food distribution, berry production, farm strategic planning and emerging crops.

people look at a hoof
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development

CCE’s Agriculture Workforce Development program demystifies new farm and labor laws to help to build committed, engaged and effective teams through tried-and-tested human resource management practices and research-based leadership and management development education.

worker in a field
Cornell Cooperative Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program (CCE-PSEP)

CCE’s PSEP promotes the proper use of pesticides for the applicator, the consumer, and the environment, and also serves as a pesticide education center for those interested in pesticide chemicals.

kids stand at a fence
New York Agriculture in the Classroom (NYAITC)

NYAITC is a partnership between CCE, Cornell University, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the New York State Education Department and the New York Farm Bureau. The program fosters awareness, understanding and appreciation of how we produce food and fiber, what we eat and how we live, by helping educators, pre-k to middle school students and their communities learn about and engage with agriculture and food systems.

New York State

Farm to School

Farm to school programs in schools and early care and education sites engage young people in hands-on learning and connect families to fresh, healthy local food. In New York State, a cross-disciplinary team of Extension associates, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educators, and partners from NYS agencies work together to create better cohesion of farm to school programming across the state.

Buffalo school children on a farm visit

Partner Organizations and Programs

CCE agriculture educators and specialists work closely with campus faculty primarily in the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, researchers with Cornell Agritech and the Cornell University Agriculture Experiment Station and other partners to drive sustainable development in New York communities.

Stories

Llama

News

From llamas to lavender, agritourism grows in New York state

Cornell Cooperative Extension has boosted its support for New York state agritourism as the industry has grown, with the number of participating farms nearly doubling and revenue tripling since 2007.

  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Agriculture
a woman holds a chick upside down and looks at a band on its leg

Field Note

Working to save the common tern: A summer internship experience
The common tern is a sweet little waterbird, with white wings like an angel’s and a distinctive kee-er cry. They are fierce protectors of their families, fearlessly chasing down eagles and tirelessly building up their ground nests, which they...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Animal Science
  • Natural Resources and the Environment Section
Junior DAIRY LEADER 2026 class

News

Junior DAIRY LEADER graduation 2026
Enthusiasm is always palpable at a Junior DAIRY LEADER graduation, held in August on the Cornell campus at Stocking Hall. The day is a culmination of an intense year of hands-on learning, exposure to industry issues, networking, farm tours and...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Cornell Dairy
  • PRO-DAIRY
Walnut Ridge Dairy team

News

PRO-DAIRY Agriservice Awards 2026
The PRO-DAIRY Agriservice Awards recognize outstanding contributions to New York agriculture and long-standing support of the PRO-DAIRY program. “This year’s recipients represent the strong partnerships that help drive innovation, education and...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Cornell Dairy
  • PRO-DAIRY
Kathys Burns in the Voice of the Farmer garden at the NY State Fair.

News

CCE’s Kathy Burns awarded Women in Agriculture Friend of the Fair Award
Kathy Burns' path to Cornell Cooperative Extension Onondaga County began with a chance discovery: a job listing for a Master Gardener Program Coordinator that caught her eye. She applied, drawn by the opportunity to combine her experience...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension