Cheryl Thayer

Local Food Distribution & Marketing Specialist

CCE Erie County
21 South Grove Street
East Aurora, NY 14052

phone 607-592-9507
email Cheryl

Areas of Interest
Food-to-Institution Programs, Farm-Based Beverages, Local Food Promotion

Cheryl's work aims to increase investment and jobs in agriculture and food systems to enhance the viability of farms through expansion, value-added production, diversification, and distribution of locally produced farm goods. Through a coordinated effort, Cheryl partners with community organizations, economic development organizations, government entities, Cornell faculty, and agricultural producers to develop programs designed to strengthen the regional food system, both in direct-to-consumer and wholesale markets. Cheryl earned her Bachelors from Penn State, and her Masters of Public Administration from Cornell University, where she concentrated her studies in Environmental Policy. While attending Cornell, Cheryl conducted food systems planning work, both domestically and internationally. Prior to attending grad school, Cheryl worked in the corporate food system sector in New York City.

Upcoming Events

Strategic Workforce Approaches Symposium

May 22, 2019
Wednesday, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Ithaca, NY

Retention. Attraction. Workforce. People. The dairy industry has consistently shared that these factors need to be improved. Our Cornell Dairy team is hosting a Strategic Workforce Approaches Symposium on Wednesday, May 22nd where we will be hearing from industry partners on existing workforce development resources and current strategies that are working for businesses. Featured speakers will include the Manufacturers Association of Central New York; Bruce Krupke, Executive Vice President of Northeast Dairy Foods Association; Dr. Richard Stup, Agriculture Workforce Specialist of Cornell University; and an industry panel, "Navigating Employee Interaction Strategies."

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Announcements

NYS Agricultural Soil Survey

In order to better understand the unique soils used in New York City's urban farms, Cornell Cooperative Extension's urban agriculture program launched the NYC Survey of Agricultural Soils in 2018. After obtaining soil and plant tissue analysis from ten urban farms in NYC, we are expanding the survey in 2019 with the goal of informing best management practices for unique productive urban soils. See our preliminary findings and more information, including a how-to tip sheet for NYC urban farmers on collecting soil samples and getting a soil test.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York