Cornell AgriTech

08/20/2026

This week, Senator Chuck Schumer visited our Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Concord grape industry and to advocate for investment and research that help growers adapt to a changing future.

We are grateful for his support, and for the support of our local, state, and federal representatives, in advocating for New York grape growers and recognizing the important role that research and innovation play in sustaining our agricultural economy.

08/14/2026

How can New Yorkers enjoy fresh, locally grown produce year-round? 🍅

We're helping answer that question through Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) research. Assistant professors Dominique Holtappels and Samantha Willden are studying how mulches, companion plants and biological controls affect crop production, while also investigating their impacts on pollinators, soil health and common Northeast pests and diseases.

As interest in year-round local food continues to grow, this research is helping address the challenges growers face and deepen our understanding of how CEA can work in New York.

08/12/2026

Ideas for new companies often start at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

While working in assistant professor Yu Jiang's lab, CALS alumni Jonathan Moon '21, M.S. '24 and Ertai Liu, Ph.D. '24 gained hands-on experience applying technology to real-world agricultural challenges. That experience helped inspire the creation of Budbreak Innovations, a startup using AI, computer vision and robotics to help growers monitor crop health and make more informed decisions.

By providing plant-level insights that can detect disease earlier, track crop development, and improve vineyard management, Budbreak has the potential to help growers increase efficiency, reduce costs, and build more resilient farming systems for the future.

Launched for vineyards, their company—dubbed Budbreak—now works with growers of berries, citrus, almonds, and more

08/10/2026

From h**p field to real-world use.

The new flooring and desk in Cornell AgriTech's director's office started as Ursa 'Alta', a h**p variety developed by professor Larry Smart.

Grown on Cornell University farms, harvested for fiber, and transformed into flooring, it showcases the potential of h**p as a renewable resource for sustainable building materials.

Ursa 'Alta' was bred to thrive in New York's climate while providing farmers with a high-yielding, compliant fiber crop that can support a range of products, from textiles and insulation to innovative construction materials. By creating new opportunities for plant-based materials, this work is helping advance a more sustainable future for agriculture, manufacturing and housing.

07/30/2026

07/28/2026

🍇 New Sustainable Viticulture Resource Alert 🦾

Ph.D. candidate Aliyah Brewer has developed a new Disease Resistant Grape Breeding website through a Cornell AgriTech Extension & Outreach Assistantship, creating tailored resources for consumers, growers, winemakers and breeders.

The resource supports our grape breeding program, which is developing resilient, high-quality grape varieties to help the Northeastern wine industry address challenges from climate change, evolving pests and diseases, and changing production conditions.

By connecting research with practical information, the site helps stakeholders better understand the role of disease-resistant grapes in building a more sustainable future for wine production.

Stakeholder participation and input is necessary to establish breeding priorities, understand industry direction, and for grapevine selection trialing. Maddy Oravec, Assistant Professor of Grape Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, leads the Cornell Grape Breeding Program at Cornell AgriTech.

07/22/2026

Today is the last day to register for Cornell Fruit Field Day.

Join us July 30 at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva for a full day in the orchard exploring the latest research, technologies and management strategies for commercial fruit production.

Walk the research plots with Cornell experts, explore the latest work on rootstocks, robotics, IPM, fire blight management, orchard systems and other emerging technologies, and see how current research can help you address today's production challenges.

Learn more and register: https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=2208

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University
New York Farm Bureau
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets

07/21/2026

Your produce should be safe, not adventurous. 😅

As a multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak gains attention, our experts at the Produce Safety Alliance are sharing 5 easy tips to help protect yourself while enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables.

07/17/2026

What makes black raspberries taste like summer?

The Cornell University berry breeding program is working to bring the nostalgic flavors and aromas people remember from picking wild berries along trails, in the woods and in their backyards to farms across New York.

Ph.D. student Lena Wilson explains how research is identifying the signature flavor compounds that make black raspberries so memorable—paving the way for future varieties that deliver that fresh-from-the-bramble taste.

07/16/2026

Assistant professors Katie Gold and Yu Jiang recently traveled to Capitol Hill to thank lawmakers for restoring NASA earth science funding and to share how NASA ACRES-funded research is advancing early disease detection technologies that support New York's grape and wine industry.

We are grateful for the federal investments that help drive agricultural innovation and strengthen partnerships between researchers, growers and industry.

Thank you to Anthony Road Wine Company and industry stakeholders for helping highlight the impact of this work, and to staff from the offices of Senator Schumer, Congresswoman Tenney, Congressman Nick Langworthy, Congressman Joe Morelle and Congressman Josh Riley for the opportunity for Cornell AgriTech faculty to discuss the future of agricultural research and innovation.