Our Team Is Growing: Now Hiring Agroforestry Specialist

September 18, 2023/Erica Frenay

The Cornell Small Farms Program team is continuing to grow, and we are hiring! We are excited to share that the application is now open for our newest team member, Agroforestry Extension Support Specialist.

Our dynamic team is working to help diverse small farms thrive and to make farming more equitable. For this position, we’re seeking someone with experience in agroforestry (e.g. silvopasture and forest farming) and mushroom production to lead education and research efforts.

We acknowledge that agroforestry practices, long before they were labeled as such, have been developed and utilized by indigenous people, who often don’t get credit for their ecological wisdom. As an organization, the Cornell Small Farms Program has been working on multiple fronts to advance equity, both within and outside of the University. We welcome applicants who are excited to support these efforts and have experience working with diverse audiences. We especially invite applications from Black, Indigenous, people of color.

The team member will work to advance agroforestry as a climate smart practice that can meet multiple goals on the farm and for the local food system. This is a full-time position, and the person will be required to join us in person on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, NY, at least two days a week.

We are currently welcoming applications through October 9, and we look forward to meeting you!

If you have any further questions, contact Erica Frenay, Course Coordinator and Livestock Specialist for the Cornell Small Farms Program, at ejf5@cornell.edu.

Erica Frenay

Erica has had several different roles with the Small Farms Program since she began working there in 2005. In 2006 she co-founded the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project, and launched the first online course in 2007. For 10 years she facilitated and organized the Beginning Farmer Learning Network, a professional development network for service providers in the Northeast who support beginning farmers. She has shepherded the development, publishing, and updating of several key SFP publications, like the Guide to Farming in NYS, the On-Farm Poultry Processing Guide, and the Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry. As the SFP’s menu of online courses surpassed 20, she shifted her role primarily to managing these courses, providing ongoing training to instructors, and ensuring a high quality experience for students.
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