Posts by Nina Saeli

Nina retired from active duty in 2009. She and her husband, Jeffrey, own and operate Centurion Farm in Locke, NY. Nina also now works with the Cornell Small Farms Program as coordinator of our Farm Ops project supporting veterans in agriculture.

2026 Pig Production Veteran Cohort – Survey to Identify Your Specific Interests

By Nina Saeli / December 16, 2025

Dear pig production cohort member, I would like to gauge your interest in the virtual seminar topics,  discussion group topics, and in-person events, in addition to providing you with a…

Growing Uncommon Fruit Cohort for NYS Veterans

By Nina Saeli / December 10, 2025

This cohort provides NYS veterans an opportunity to explore the diverse and promising potential of underutilized fruit crops. The program will run from February – September 2026. We will kick…

Service Provider Directory for 2025 Farmer Veteran Gathering

By Nina Saeli / November 4, 2025

Thank you for registering to attend our 2025 Farmer Veteran Gathering. We would like to provide attendees with a service provider directory. Please complete the survey below. If you have…

Farm Ops Tractor Operations & Safety Training 2-Day Event

By Nina Saeli / August 29, 2025

Dates: October 6-7 Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM each day Location: Homer C. Thompson Vegetable Research Farm, 133 Fall Creek Road, Freeville, NY Registration: Limited to 24 participants Farm…

Pig Production Cohort for NYS Veterans

By Nina Saeli / August 15, 2025

This cohort provides NYS veterans an opportunity to explore the diverse business prospects of pig production. This cohort will run from September 2025 – August 2026. From January – August…

Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation Workshop

By Nina Saeli / August 28, 2024

  TRUMANSBURG, N.Y. — Nineteen participants gathered at Hawk Meadow Farm for a hands-on workshop on outdoor shiitake mushroom cultivation, learning techniques for growing mushrooms on logs in a natural…

Farm Ops Veteran Scholarship Application for a Cornell Small Farms Program’s Online Course

By Nina Saeli / August 1, 2024

You must know for which course you want to apply. Review the Cornell Small Farms online course offerings.  If you have gained access to this application prior to reviewing the…

Farm Ops Offers Agricultural Marketing Veteran Cohort

By Nina Saeli / July 10, 2024

Marketing for a farm involves promoting and selling agricultural products by understanding consumer needs, creating a unique brand, setting competitive prices, and using various channels to reach customers. With successful…

Farm Ops Supports Veteran Attendance to the NYS Fiber Conference

By Nina Saeli / May 23, 2024

Farm Ops, the Cornell Small Farms Program’s veteran project, supported veteran attendance at the annual New York State Fiber Conference, helping farmer veterans develop new skills, explore value-added products, and…

Exchanging the Challenges of Military Service for the Challenges of Learning about Horticulture

By Nina Saeli / April 3, 2024

Tyler Evans explored what it meant to be part of the U.S. Marine Corps, and he lived with a mindset to defeat the challenges that hinder progress. After completing his…