Experiential learning, real-world impact
The Lund Fellows Program for Regenerative Agriculture provides Cornell undergraduate students across disciplines with the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and understanding of natural ecosystems and to learn about ecological and social approaches to agricultural systems.
Working and learning on local farms
The Lund Fellows Program provides students opportunities to gain applied experience working on an agroecological farm and contribute to the farm in meaningful and helpful ways, while learning about the process and considerations involved in managing such an enterprise.
- We work to spread awareness about the value and mission of agroecological biodynamic, organic, regenerative, and sustainable approaches to farming
- strengthen relationships between the university and local farms
- and provide assistance to small farms that could not otherwise fund summer internships
Our commitment to sustainable farming
In the spirit of partnership with local farms, we are committed to ensuring this experience is mutually beneficial for students and farmers. Toward that end, we are dedicated to preparing and supporting our students in ways that enable them to contribute to the work of community partners in meaningful ways.



Program requirements
- Completion of two prerequisite classes that explore aspects of biodynamic, organic, regenerative, and sustainable agriculture & food
- Completion a one-credit pre-internship spring semester course for Lund Fellows, taught by the Lund Program Coordinator and/or other professionals and potentially including visits to local farms and farmers’ markets
- Completion of an eight-week summer internship at an approved agroecological farm that is committed to local distribution and inclusiveness where Lund Fellows are expected to work eight hours per day, five days a week (stipend of $6,800)
- Completion of online and/or in-person check-ins during the internship
- Completion of writing prompts and on-line discussions during the internship
- Completion of a one-credit post-internship course held at the start of the fall semester for fellows to share their individual experiences and bring knowledge gained back to the classroom, including the development of a poster and participation in a poster session
Apply to the program
Applications for Summer 2024 will open in November 2023. You can reach out to program coordinator cns44 [at] cornell.edu (Carrie Simon) for questions.
2023 Lund Fellows

Dilmun Hill
Willa Gagnon
Major: Environment and Sustainability
Farm location: Ithaca, NY
My name is Willa Gagnon and I am a rising junior majoring in Environment and Sustainability. This summer, I will be working at Dilmun Hill Student Organic Farm. I am excited to be part of the Lund Fellowship, learning about student connections with the farming community in Ithaca and at Cornell. I am looking forward to growing many varieties of tomatoes, hosting community dinners, and working with other students who share a passion for food systems.
Eve’s Cidery
Bryan Wilcenski
Major: Environment and Sustainability
Farm location: Van Etten, NY
Hello! My name is Bryan Wilcenski, and I am a rising senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. I am an Environment and Sustainability Major with a concentration on Natural Resource Management and Governance. I applied to the Lund Fellowship Program seeking exposure to small-scale sustainable agriculture and the chance to spend a summer working outside in the elements. I recently shifted my academic and professional trajectories towards regenerative agriculture and this fellowship offers a great opportunity to learn about farm management in an educational setting.
Oko Farms
Manuella Nia Wangari Adriko
Majors: Global Development and Agricultural Sciences
Farm location: Brooklyn, NY
My name is Manuella Mia Wangari Adriko, and I'm a freshman from Kampala, Uganda. I'm pursuing a double major in Global Development and Agricultural Sciences. My farm placement is Oko Farms, Brooklyn, New York. I'm excited to watch, and hopefully, help run Oko's youth education workshops.
Red Hook Farms
Meghan Barr
Major: Global Development
Farm location: Brooklyn, NY
My name is Meghan Barr and I am first year global development major from Queens, NY. This summer I will be working for Red Hook farms in Brooklyn, NY. I am especially interested in urban agriculture which initially inspired me to choose Red Hook farms, however, I also really appreciate their education and food focus in the work that they do. I am excited to gain more firsthand farm experience and to get to know the Red Hook community.
Roxbury Farms
Nick Methner
Major: Agriculture Science
Farm location: Kinderhook, NY
My name is Nick Methner, I will be graduating in 2024 from Cornell. I grew up in Mt. Prospect, Illinois and had gone to community college and worked on farms in the area before coming to Cornell as a Junior transfer. This summer I'll be at Roxbury Farm in Kinderhook, NY, of which I feel very privileged to be apart as they are a well-known organic vegetable and meat CSA.
Syracuse Refuge Agriculture Project
Gio Rodriguez
Major: Global Development
Farm location: Lacona, NY
Hello, my name is Gio Rodriguez, and I am a student in the class of 2026 from San Diego, CA. I’ll be majoring in Global Development with a minor in Latino Studies. This summer, I will be working with the Syracuse Agricultural Refugee Program to support New Americans beginning their agricultural passions to farm and promoting naturally grown, culturally appropriate produce. I chose this farm placement because of its community. I connected with it based on my own social identities and experience as a Research Assistant focusing on undocu/DACAmented individuals in the United States. In my work, I hypothesized that an undocu/DACAmented person and a refugee had similar intersectionalities between the two; therefore, this placement would allow me to view the extent to which their experiences here in the United States are similar. I am super excited about the multicultural interactions with my host farm placement, and to learn about the the different cultural backgrounds that come with producing food and its value to their home societies.
Youth Farm Project
Mateo Valdillez
Major: Environment and Sustainability
Farm location: Ithaca, NY
My name is Mateo Valdillez, Class of 2025, and I am from the Bay Area, California. I am majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a minor in Latino Studies and will be at the Youth Farm Project for this upcoming summer. I have a passion for working with students and youth and the Youth Farm project is the perfect opportunity to bridge my passions with my studies, focusing on the intersection of learning from the youth, environmental justice, and agroecology. I can't wait to get to know everyone involved in the summer program and I look forward to serving the community through a program as incredible as the Youth Farm Project.
Bronx River Foodway
Catherine Hung
Major: Civil Engineering
Farm location: Bronx, NY
My name is Catherine Hung and I am a senior studying Civil Engineering with minors in Architecture and Business. As someone who is passionate about sustainable development, I am excited to combine my interests in engineering, agriculture, and community development with a focus on environmental protection. This summer, I will be returning to the Bronx River Alliance and working to protect, improve and restore the Bronx River corridor. I am excited to support the Foodway in creating a healthy ecological, recreational, educational, and economic resource.
Contact us

Professor
Department of Global Development
Director of Graduate Studies, Graduate Field of Development Studies
Department of Global Development
- (607) 255-3213
- rbeznerkerr [at] cornell.edu
- (607) 255-4964
- mrr232 [at] cornell.edu

Program Coordinator, Lund Fellows Program for Regenerative Agriculture
Department of Global Development
- cns44 [at] cornell.edu
Faculty advisory committee

Senior Extension Associate
Department of Global Development
Director, Education Minor
Department of Global Development
- (607) 255-0417
- hmm1 [at] cornell.edu
- (607) 255-7122
- gmp32 [at] cornell.edu
- (607) 255-9408
- led24 [at] cornell.edu

Senior Extension Associate and Director, Cornell Small Farm Program
School of Integrative Plant Science
Horticulture Section
- (607) 255-1780
- ar47 [at] cornell.edu

Associate Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Horticulture Section
Associate Director
Cornell Cooperative Extension
- (607) 255-8886
- jtk57 [at] cornell.edu

Senior Lecturer / Senior Extension Associate
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- (607) 255-2485
- jmr5 [at] cornell.edu
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