Faces of Extension: Mario Miranda Sazo

I never expected my agricultural journey to span continents and challenges. Though my father was an engineer in Chile’s copper mines, I was drawn to the outdoors and chose agronomy—a respected and stable career path in Chile. After graduating, I became a product development manager with BASF, overseeing agricultural projects across South America in crops like onions, rice, and soybeans. I loved my dynamic role, but a suggestion from my supervisor changed my life: leave Chile to study English and pursue graduate education.

The decision wasn’t easy. I had a stable job, financial security, and a settled life. My father couldn’t understand why I would leave, and at times, I wasn’t sure either. But I knew I needed better English skills to take the GRE and TOEFL exams. In 2000, I made the life-changing decision to move to California.

Those early months in California were incredibly difficult. Living with a host family, I immersed myself in learning English but struggled with loneliness and depression. Limited language skills left me unable to truly connect—I felt like a cassette tape with only 250 words. My lack of fluency overshadowed an otherwise stable situation.

After six challenging months, my hard work paid off. I enrolled at the University of California, Davis, where I researched processing tomato and alfalfa. This was a transformative period—I met my wife, who was studying viticulture, and began building the next chapter of my agricultural career.

After we graduated from UC Davis, my wife invited me to consider moving to the Finger Lakes. At that time, I didn’t know much about Cornell. But I applied for a job with Robin Bellinder, professor of plant science, because I had a strong science background. After working with Robin for a time, I heard about an extension position in tree fruit. I applied without really know what extension was. With a background in row crops and vegetables, I knew that I would have to start from the beginning and take time to really learn the science of pomology.

As a CCE tree fruit extension specialist with the Lake Ontario Fruit Program, I began working with Professor Terence Robinson, Professor of Horticulture at Cornell AgriTech, who became both my mentor and colleague.

When I first joined Cornell, I knew little about Cooperative Extension or the fruit industry. Coming from a background in row crops and vegetables, I had to start from scratch. It took me three years, alongside Terence and the Lake Ontario Fruit Program team, to master the science of pomology and, just as crucially, to learn how to cultivate strong relationships with growers. In extension work, trust is everything.

Working with Terence, I learned to bridge research with practical solutions. At the Geneva research station (now Cornell AgriTech), experiments testing 15 or 16 protocols would reveal top treatments after years of study. I would organize on-farm trials with growers, showcasing one or two promising techniques so they could see results firsthand and adopt changes confidently.

I cannot bring 14 treatments to a grower to do the same kind of research that we do at Geneva, but I can do one or two of the most promising treatments with a grower. That is the way we disseminate our research. Growers can trial things and see the results before adopting them more broadly.

You don’t start with 350 growers at the same time, you work with the most innovative growers, the early adopters who are going to help you to disseminate the message and share the impacts of the research.

Extension is focused and intentional—it starts with innovative growers who share successes within their communities. Bit by bit, the impact spreads. Over time, I’ve come to see extension as more than sharing knowledge; it’s about caring deeply for growers, being present, and giving your best.

There were some key growers that took me in their heart, in their arms. One is Bill Pitts, who's a consultant today. Bill was instrumental in helping me learn to prune and understand the trees. Another early influence was Rod Farrow, a grower from England, who now lives in Waterport, New York.

Perhaps being from England, Rod understood what I was going through by trying to adapt to a very traditional community of fruit growers. It gave me some time to build the trust with other growers. The most difficult thing, whether you are American or not, I think is to build the trust with your grower community.

I always tell the new kids coming to CCE, make your connections thick, not wide with superficial connections. Find key growers and build trust with them first. After that you can really start growing out your network and connections.

Building relationships with faculty is also key.

I see my impact in the region’s thriving orchards—healthier, more productive trees that tell the story of innovation and improved practices. Walking through these orchards is a powerful reminder of science at work, as the trees speak louder than words about progress.

Reflecting on my journey, I realize how taking risks, like leaving a stable life in Chile, set me on the path to growth and impact. It wasn’t easy, but it was vital. My experiences taught me that knowledge transcends borders and that resilience and courage can lead to extraordinary results.