Did you know that the yogurt industry is one of NY’s largest and fastest growing industries in agriculture? Both Chobani and Fage, the two leading greek yogurt brands are produced in NY. Learn about the history of this industry, past and future consumption trends, and how NY’s dairy industry is impacted by it.

 

New York’s wine and grape industry is one of the fastest growing in the nation. This workshop will touch on where the industry has been, where it is going, as well as how the New York Wine and Grape Foundation plays a role in supporting the industry.

Graduate education has become increasingly important to society over the past several decades. Come learn about the process of applying to graduate school and all of the important steps along the way.

 

 

Are you an officer in your chapter? Do you sometimes wonder how other chapters run their executive board, and what roles their officers play in their chapter? This workshop will provide an open forum to discuss the roles of officers in chapters and provide ideas to bring back to your chapters to make each chapter run as efficiently as possible.

 

This workshop will discuss the importance of philanthropy and community service in Alpha Zeta, and provide a place to share service ideas. Discussion and brainstorming for the AZ National Service project will also take place, so come prepared with your best philanthropy and service experiences! 

 

Cornell Chapter Representatives

 

There’s no better time than the present! Everyone is passionate about something, but how do you communicate that passion to an audience that knows very little about your passion? Chris has taught countless kids and adults about agriculture through her on the farm Discovery Center and will share some of her experiences about the education value of farms, job opportunities that come from agriculture, and most importantly, how to share your passion.

 

Chris Fesko’s entry into the world of ag education was prompted the day that someone stopped by as she was feeding calves, and asked her if they could take a picture of her cow. When she looked to see the cow that they were talking about, it was a horse. This single incident changed her life, and the many people she has touched in her quest to raise people’s understanding and awareness of agriculture. She started filming her first video that summer: Summer on the Farm.

Nine videos later, Chris has painted a real picture of modern agriculture and made it readily available to both the farming and non-farming public. The picture she pains is realistic, accurate, and entertaining. In her popular video series, entitled On the Farm, she captures everyday life and activity on real, functioning farms.

Spawned by the interest and positive reaction to her videos about the farm and agriculture, she developed an On the Farm discovery Center. They transformed a barn into a school for field trips by local schools. The curriculum Chris developed for the Discovery Center includes math, science, English, and language arts for children in grades Pre-K through 6th. Topics include life cycles, math in a milk carton, a dozen things to do with eggs, machines, electricity, and more. As Chris says, "Learning comes to life when children have the opportunity to see it in real life.”

Chris has shared agriculture’s story through numerous speaking engagements at all levels and multiple magazine articles. She has been awarded several Telly Awards and three Parent’s Choice awards, along with many other distinguished honors. She also was awarded the Ag Promotion Award by the NYS Agricultural Society this January, an award co-sponsored by AZ’s Cornell chapter.

 

 

New York is in the midst of a unique time with people so interested in local food and their personal health. New York state’s agricultural industry is very diverse due to topography, climate and soils throughout the state, and the closeness to an amazing customer base provides both opportunities and threats to farmers and the industry. Hooker will touch on these aspects of New York’s industry and provide an understanding of how unique New York’s agricultural is.

Cornell Alumnus, Patrick Hooker, serves as the Director of Agribusiness Development for Empire State Development, whose mission is to promote business investment and growth that leads to job creation and prosperous communities across New York State. Hooker works to support Governor Cuomo's goal of strengthening the upstate economy as a member of a team focused on the food, agricultural, bioenergy and forestry aspects of the Governor's policy agenda.

Hooker works on developing working relationships with all relevant state agencies tasked with business support of the agricultural, food, bioenergy and forestry industries, including but not limited to: Agriculture and Markets, NYSERDA, Homes and Community Renewal, the Environmental Facilities Corporation; Environmental Conservation; Health and the Department of State.