Specialists
Erik Smith
Erik is the field crop specialist and team leader. Erik earned his BA from SUNY Oswego in Biology and his MS and PhD from Cornell University in Entomology.
Erik is the field crop specialist and team leader. Erik earned his BA from SUNY Oswego in Biology and his MS and PhD from Cornell University in Entomology.
Ashley McFarland
Ashley is the livestock specialist. She received her Animal Science BT degree at SUNY Cobleskill and BS at The Ohio State University. Previously, she was a herd health manager for a beef operation and worked for Agri-King Nutrition as a dairy nutrition consultant.
Heer Patel
Heer is the program aide. She received her Bachelor of Science with minors in Soils and International Ag at Penn State University. Her passion is in sustainable farming and soil health. She has studied the Himalayan environment in Bhutan, and contributed to the Soil Health Benchmark study with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. She enjoys helping out at Patchwork, a small organic produce & vegetable farm in Central PA.
Heer is the program aide. She received her Bachelor of Science with minors in Soils and International Ag at Penn State University. Her passion is in sustainable farming and soil health. She has studied the Himalayan environment in Bhutan, and contributed to the Soil Health Benchmark study with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. She enjoys helping out at Patchwork, a small organic produce & vegetable farm in Central PA.
Raevyn Saunders
Raevyn is the Farm Business Management Specialist. She received her Masters of Science in Food and Agricultural Business from SUNY Morrisville, and a BBA in Agricultural Business. She previously worked for Cornell Cooperative Extension as a Farm to School Coordinator and Agricultural Educator. She previously worked in the heavy equipment industry at Milton CAT, managing service logistics and technician support for customers across New York.
Ashley McFarland
Area Livestock Specialist
view details about Ashley
Heer Patel
Program Aide
view details about Heer
Raevyn Saunders
Farm Business Management Specialist
view details about Raevyn
Erik Smith
Area Field Crop Specialist/Team Leader
view details about Erik
Dairy
Livestock
Forages
Grains
Upcoming Events
Labor Roadshow IX
December 1, 2025
December 9 - December 10, 2025December 17 - December 18, 2025December 22, 2025
In-person and online events to keep NY's agricultural employers informed and prepared for today's labor challenges.
2026 Dairy Day
January 13, 2026 : Dairy Day - Hamilton
Hamilton, NY
Lunch included
January 14, 2026 : Dairy Day - Ballston Spa
Ballston Spa, NY
Lunch included
2026 Corn & Soybean Day
January 20, 2026 : Corn & Soybean Day - Hamilton
Hamilton, NY
Lunch included
January 21, 2026 : Corn & Soybean Day - Ballston Spa
Ballston Spa, NY
Lunch included
Announcements
Sign Up for Our Weekly E-Newsletter
We send out a bi-weekly e-newsletter that has announcements, upcoming programs, and opportunities for you! Registration is quick, easy, and free. Click here to sign up today!Farmers Can Join MeatSuite For Free!
MeatSuite.com is a free resource provided by Cornell University where NY meat farmers can create a farm profile and list their bulk (wholes, halves, quarters) and bundled (i.e. Grilling Bundle) meat products.Why should farmers join?
1. It's free and easy!
2. Connect with more local customers. In the past year the MeatSuite.com farm directory had 8,300 visits from New York consumers. Farm profiles get as many as 25 views per month from potential local customers. We also spotlight MeatSuite farms on social media and bring attention and purchases to farms through highlights and giveaways.
How do I join?
Farmers can visit https://www.meatsuite.com/farmers/ to create a free farm profile. You must list at least one product for your farm's profile to go live. You'll also have access to Cornell's free Meat Price Calculator, a helpful tool for pricing your meat to make a profit.
While you're on MeatSuite, check out the "Creating Consumer-Friendly Bulk Meats" publication on the log-in page. It has tips on how to create bulk meat products that are easier for first-time buyers to say "yes" to.
If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, we're here to help! Please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu.