Organic Experts

Our experts support organic producers in New York by developing and strengthening relationships among Cornell researchers, students, and extension staff and stakeholders including producers, consultants, input suppliers, and NGOs. The Management Team is comprised of 7 members who represent the breadth of organic research and activities at Cornell.

Organic @ Cornell Program Work Management Team

Crystal Stewart Courtens

Regional Vegetable Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Crystal Stewart Courtens

(518) 775-0018
cls263 [at] cornell.edu

Small & Beginning Farms

Organic Production

Garlic

Gregory Peck

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Gregory Peck

(607) 255-7122
gmp32 [at] cornell.edu

Tree fruit and hard cider

Organic agriculture and soil health

Climate change

Matt Ryan

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Soil and Crop Sciences Section

Matt Ryan

(607) 255-4964
mrr232 [at] cornell.edu

Sustainable cropping systems and agroecology

Cover crops and ecological weed management

Organic production

Abby Seaman

Area Extension Educator, Vegetables

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Abby Seaman

(315) 787-2422
ajs32 [at] cornell.edu

Vegetables

Organic Production

Breeding for Disease Resistance

Michael Mazourek

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Horticulture Section

Michael Mazourek

(607) 254-7256
mm284 [at] cornell.edu

Vegetable breeding (cucurbits, peppers, peas and beans)

Biochemical genetics for flavor, human nutrition and plant defense

Applied quantitative genetics

Bruce Reisch

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Cornell AgriTech

Bruce Reisch

(315) 787-2239
bir1 [at] cornell.edu

Grape breeding and genomics

Molecular genetic mapping

Marker-assisted selection

Margaret Smith

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Professor

Department of Global Development

Associate Dean and Director

Cornell AES

Margaret Smith

(607) 254-8764
mes25 [at] cornell.edu

Maize breeding and genomics

Abiotic stress tolerance

Insect and disease resistance

Mark Sorrells

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Mark Sorrells

(607) 255-1665
mes12 [at] cornell.edu

Small grain breeding and genomics

Heritage

Malting and specialty varieties

Organic Cropping Systems

Laurie Drinkwater

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Laurie Drinkwater

(607) 255-9408
led24 [at] cornell.edu

Agroecology

Soil quality

Nutrient cycling

Matt Ryan

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Soil and Crop Sciences Section

Matt Ryan

(607) 255-4964
mrr232 [at] cornell.edu

Sustainable cropping systems and agroecology

Cover crops and ecological weed management

Organic production

Organic Dairy Production Systems

Ken Wise

Senior Extension Associate

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Ken Wise

(845) 677-8223
klw24 [at] cornell.edu

Organic Field Crop Production

Gary Bergstrom

Emeritus Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Gary Bergstrom

(607) 255-7849
gcb3 [at] cornell.edu

Integrated disease management of wheat, corn, soybeans, forage legumes

Janice Degni

Field Crop Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Janice Degni

(607) 391-2672
jgd3 [at] cornell.edu

Joe Lawrence

Dairy Forage Systems Specialist

PRO-DAIRY

Joe Lawrence

(315) 778-4814
jrl65 [at] cornell.edu

Virginia Moore

Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Virginia Moore

vm377 [at] cornell.edu

Breeding for sustainable cropping systems

Cover crops, intercropping, polycultures, organic farming systems

Legumes, forages, alfalfa, hemp

Erik Arthur Smith

Field Crops Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Erik Arthur Smith

(315) 219-7786
erik.smith [at] cornell.edu

Organic and Integrated Pest Management

Emerging crops

Agrometeorology

Ken Wise

Senior Extension Associate

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Ken Wise

(845) 677-8223
klw24 [at] cornell.edu

Organic Fruit Production Systems

Thomas Burr

Emeritus

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology

Thomas Burr

(315) 787-2312
tjb1 [at] cornell.edu

Kerik Cox

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Cornell AgriTech

Kerik Cox

(315) 787-2401
kdc33 [at] cornell.edu

Orchard fungal ecology

Fungicide resistance

Pesticide stewardship, fruit pathology

Elisabeth A. Hodgdon

Regional Vegetable Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Elisabeth A. Hodgdon

(518) 650-5323
eh528 [at] cornell.edu

Peter Jentsch

Extension Associate, Sr.; HVRL Station Superintendent

Cornell AgriTech

Hudson Valley Research Laboratory

Department of Entomology

Peter Jentsch

(845) 691-6516
pjj5 [at] cornell.edu

Gregory Peck

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Gregory Peck

(607) 255-7122
gmp32 [at] cornell.edu

Tree fruit and hard cider

Organic agriculture and soil health

Climate change

Marvin Pritts

Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Plant Sciences Major

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Professor

Department of Global Development

Marvin Pritts

(607) 255-1778
mpp3 [at] cornell.edu

Berry crops

Season extension

Sustainable production practices

Terence Robinson

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Cornell AgriTech

Terence Robinson

(315) 787-2227
tlr1 [at] cornell.edu

Orchard production systems

Crop load and canopy management

Fruit tree physiology

Justine Vanden Heuvel

Professor and Chair

Horticulture Section

School of Integrative Plant Science

Justine Vanden Heuvel

justine [at] cornell.edu

Sustainable viticulture production

Ecophysiological factors and their impact on fruit and wine composition

Computational tools for vineyard management

Organic Seed Treatments

Gary Bergstrom

Emeritus Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Gary Bergstrom

(607) 255-7849
gcb3 [at] cornell.edu

Integrated disease management of wheat, corn, soybeans, forage legumes

Margaret McGrath

Retired Faculty

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Margaret McGrath

(631) 727-3595
mtm3 [at] cornell.edu

Diseases of vegetable crops

Powdery mildew, downy mildew, Phytophthora blight and basil downy mildew

Fungicide resistance

Brian Nault

Professor

Department of Entomology

Cornell AgriTech

Brian Nault

(315) 787-2354
ban6 [at] cornell.edu

Sarah Pethybridge

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Cornell AgriTech

Sarah Pethybridge

(315) 787-2417
sjp277 [at] cornell.edu

Diseases of vegetables

Sclerotinia

Epidemiology and fungicide resistance

Abby Seaman

Area Extension Educator, Vegetables

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Abby Seaman

(315) 787-2422
ajs32 [at] cornell.edu

Vegetables

Organic Production

Christine Smart

Goichman Family Director

Cornell AgriTech

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Christine Smart

(315) 787-2441
cds14 [at] cornell.edu

Biology and management of vegetable diseases

Host-pathogen interactions

Alan Taylor

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Cornell AgriTech

Alan Taylor

(315) 787-2243
agt1 [at] cornell.edu

Seed science and technology

Seed quality

Coatings, treatments and biostimulants

Vegetable Disease Management

Margaret McGrath

Retired Faculty

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Margaret McGrath

(631) 727-3595
mtm3 [at] cornell.edu

Diseases of vegetable crops

Powdery mildew, downy mildew, Phytophthora blight and basil downy mildew

Fungicide resistance

Brian Nault

Professor

Department of Entomology

Cornell AgriTech

Brian Nault

(315) 787-2354
ban6 [at] cornell.edu

Sarah Pethybridge

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Cornell AgriTech

Sarah Pethybridge

(315) 787-2417
sjp277 [at] cornell.edu

Diseases of vegetables

Sclerotinia

Epidemiology and fungicide resistance

Christine Smart

Goichman Family Director

Cornell AgriTech

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Christine Smart

(315) 787-2441
cds14 [at] cornell.edu

Biology and management of vegetable diseases

Host-pathogen interactions

Organic Vegetable Production Systems

Thomas Björkman

Professor Emeritus

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Cornell AgriTech

Thomas Björkman

tnb1 [at] cornell.edu

Vegetable crop physiology

Cover crops

Establishing year-round Eastern broccoli industry

Elizabeth Buck

Fresh Market Vegetable Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Elizabeth Buck

(585) 406-3419
emb273 [at] cornell.edu

Robert Hadad

Vegetable Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Robert Hadad

(585) 739-4065
rgh26 [at] cornell.edu

Elisabeth A. Hodgdon

Regional Vegetable Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Elisabeth A. Hodgdon

(518) 650-5323
eh528 [at] cornell.edu

Christy Hoepting

Senior Regional Vegetable Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Christy Hoepting

(585) 721-6953
cah59 [at] cornell.edu

Ryan Maher

Research and Extension Specialist, Cornell Small Farms Program

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Organic Coordinator

Cornell AES

Ryan Maher

rmm325 [at] cornell.edu

Michael Mazourek

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Horticulture Section

Michael Mazourek

(607) 254-7256
mm284 [at] cornell.edu

Vegetable breeding (cucurbits, peppers, peas and beans)

Biochemical genetics for flavor, human nutrition and plant defense

Applied quantitative genetics

Anusuya Rangarajan

Senior Extension Associate and Director, Cornell Small Farm Program

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Anusuya Rangarajan

(607) 255-1780
ar47 [at] cornell.edu

Fresh market vegetable production

Small farms and sustainable agriculture

Organic and reduced tillage vegetable production

Abby Seaman

Area Extension Educator, Vegetables

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Abby Seaman

(315) 787-2422
ajs32 [at] cornell.edu

Vegetables

Organic Production

Crystal Stewart Courtens

Regional Vegetable Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Crystal Stewart Courtens

(518) 775-0018
cls263 [at] cornell.edu

Small & Beginning Farms

Organic Production

Garlic

Organic Weed Management

Bryan Brown

Senior Extension Associate

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Adjunct Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Bryan Brown

(315) 787-2432
bryan.brown [at] cornell.edu

Integrated weed management

Culturally appropriate extension

Weed seedbank dynamics

Matt Ryan

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Soil and Crop Sciences Section

Matt Ryan

(607) 255-4964
mrr232 [at] cornell.edu

Sustainable cropping systems and agroecology

Cover crops and ecological weed management

Organic production

Lynn Sosnoskie

Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Cornell AgriTech

Lynn Sosnoskie

(315) 787-2231
lms438 [at] cornell.edu

Weed ecology

Weed management

Specialty crops