Sarah Hulick out in the field.

This summer, sophomore Sarah Hulick traveled from one New York farm to another, seeing many different types of vegetable production—from small organic operations to large commercial farms.

“The question we asked the farmers was, ‘what can we do to help you feed people?’” Hulick said. “We make sure that the growers who need the information are getting it.”

Hulick worked as the summer assistant for the Cornell Vegetable Program, a cooperative extension effort to assist growers throughout New York. The program, administered through Cornell Cooperative Extension, includes five specialists and a three-person faculty team. Stephan Reiners, associate professor of horticultural sciences, guided Hulikc through her internship.

Besides her farm visits, Hulick dropped in on elementary schools and science classes, wrote for extension publications, collected data, and maintained the link between the farming community and Cornell researchers.

At the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, Hulick explored her interests in agriculture, political science, the environment, education, and communication. She also discovered an excitement for extension work.

“Extension means that you get to see growers, see their farm, and get involved in research projects,” she said.

Sometimes, as Hulick learned, they are even called to help with unexpected problems. A Wayne County potato grower had drainage problems resulting from muck soil. Hulick and an extension specialist walked the fields and investigated the problem. They found that the drainage ditches stopped removing excess water after a beaver had used them for a dam foundation. After photographing the dam, the grower acquired a nuisance permit to remove the beavers.

“I didn’t only learn about vegetable growing, but property law, environmental problems, and nature,” she said.

— Marissa Fessenden