Kitty O'Neil

Kitty O'Neil

Ag Climate Resiliency Specialist

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Areas of Interest
soil health

Kitty O'Neil joins Harvest NY with an extensive background in climate smart farming; Her goal is to improve productivity and resiliency across the state through smart farm and business management with keen attention to climate-related risks to land, farms, crop, and animal production and long-term soil health. She is a member of the Cornell Climate Smart Farming Extension Team and the Agriculture and Climate Change Program Work Team. Her current research projects focus on impacts of soil compaction to crop yields and soil function.

Kitty previously served as the Cornell Cooperative Extension Regional Field Crops and Soils Specialist in Northern NY. She grew up on a successful family dairy farm in Cayuga County, NY and went on to receive a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University, her M.S. in Animal Nutrition and Plant Biochemistry from Michigan State University (MSU), and her Ph.D. in Sustainable Plant and Soil Cropping Systems from MSU. Kitty is also a Certified Crop Adviser.

Prior to working with Cooperative Extension, Dr. O'Neil spent several years working at MSU researching potato cropping systems, studying impacts of crop rotations, soil amendments, and cover crops on soil health and biophysics on potato farms.

Upcoming Events

Whole Farm Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (CAMP) Series

January 13 - February 12, 2026
Jan 13, Jan 29: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM; Feb 12: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Kingston, NY

Join CCE Ulster and CCE Harvest New York for a three-part workshop series focused on building climate resilience on your farm. We will cover climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, learn how to access relevant historical climate data, and begin a climate adaptation plan for your farm!

January 13 (Tues): 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
January 29 (Thurs): 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
February 12 (Thurs): 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)

January 25, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flushing, NY

Join us at Ridgewood Community Garden for a free, hands-on workshop with CCE Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman. Participants will learn about basic tree maintenance and pruning techniques. Proper winter care helps trees conserve energy, prevent damage from cold weather, and prepare for growth in the spring. 

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