The Harvest New York Specialists cover multiple regions within New York State. The Specialists work in close consultation with Cornell faculty members, local and regional Extension staff, and grower groups, bringing new information and resources to areas with growth potential.

Sam Anderson

Urban Agriculture Specialist

Areas of Interest: Urban Agriculture, IPM, Soil Management

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Cheryl Bilinski

Local Food Systems Specialist, Farm to School Lead

Areas of Interest: Farm to Institution, Supply Chain Development, Farm-Based Beverages

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Makela Elvy

Urban Gardens Specialist

Areas of Interest: Composting, Soil Health, NYC Community Gardens

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Yolanda Gonzalez

Urban Agriculture Specialist

Areas of Interest: Urban Agriculture, Marketing

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Mallory Hohl

Urban Gardens Specialist

Areas of Interest: Nutrition, Farm to School Initiatives, Youth Engagement, Local Food Systems, WNY Urban Gardens

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Kwesi Joseph

Urban Gardens Specialist

Areas of Interest: NYC Urban Gardening, Cover Crops, Compost Management, IPM

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Becky O'Connor

WNY Farm to Institution Coordinator

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Anya Osatuke

WNY Berry Specialist

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Lindsey Pashow

Ag Business Development & Marketing Specialist

Areas of Interest: Horticulture Marketing, Craft Beverage Industry, Produce Auctions

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Judson Reid

Extension Vegetable Specialist, Team Leader

Areas of Interest: Greenhouse Production, Small Farming Operations, Produce Auctions

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Zach Spangler

Ag Climate Resiliency Specialist

Areas of Interest: Resilient Farming Practices, Climate Change Mitigation, Ecosystem Services

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Daniela Vergara

Emerging Crops Specialist

Areas of Interest: Hemp, Hops, New Crops to NYS

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Jenna Walczak

Ag Climate Resiliency Specialist

Areas of Interest: Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Agroecology

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Como Cultivar Hongos Comestibles (How to Grow Edible Mushrooms)

July 16, 2022
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Bronx, NY

This mushroom workshop will be taught in Spanish.

Acomparie a los equipos de Cornell Co-op Extension y New York Restoration Project con las facilitadoras Cecilia, Marina, y Yolanda para aprender tres formas diferentes de cultivar hongos comestibles en su jardin. 

CRAFT Urban Ag IPM Workshop

July 19, 2022
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Brooklyn, NY

Experts from the NYS IPM Program will answer questions about beneficial insects and how to attract them to your urban farm or garden. We will also be providing some background on the Conservation Biocontrol project that is now in its second year, introducing our Cornell Cooperative Extension summer interns and providing a brief tour of Oko Farms.

Propagating Strawberry Plants Through Runners

The production of strawberry plants is challenging due to the rigorous sanitation needs that must be met, especially in field propagation settings, but also in greenhouse settings. To add to that, growers in New York may find it more difficult to obtain their preferred strawberry varieties in the coming years, as fewer nurseries are propagating strawberries. The solution: strawberry plug plants propagated from runners in a controlled environment such as a greenhouse or high tunnel.

Plug production of rarer varieties that do well in New York State will fetch a higher price than dormant bare-root plants due to the higher cost of production and lower availability in the Northeast, especially if plants are available in August. Propagating Strawberry Plants Through Runners, written by Anya Osatuke of CCE Harvest NY and Brad Bergefurd of The Ohio State University, only discusses production and marketing potential of plug plants because successful field production of bare-root strawberries is very difficult to achieve without the use of highly restricted soil fumigants.