We're Hiring! Vegetable Field Research Techs

Join our team! If you enjoy working outdoors and want to gain hands-on experience in plant agriculture and field research conducted on a diverse set of working vegetable farms, this position is an excellent opportunity for you! Working 2-3 years as a technician for the Cornell Vegetable Program (CVP) is proven foundation for students that are graduate school bound, as well as moving up within CVP/Cornell, especially in the Extension field. We are looking for someone with excellent work ethics, appreciation for agriculture, attention to detail and a can-do attitude.

Entry Level Positions:

Full-time, Albion, NY (Hoepting). 1-year appointment with potential for extension depending upon performance and funding. Excellent benefits. Working overtime (more than 40 hours/week), including evenings, is common from June through September. Emphasis on muck onion production, plant pathology, entomology and weed science. Learn more and apply!

Seasonal, Batavia, NY (Kikkert). June-August (39 hours/week) with possible extension depending on candidate availability. Assist with pest monitoring and data collection in a variety of crops including dry beans, snap beans, sweet corn, onions, potatoes and cole crops. Learn more!

Both positions:

• Start June 1, 2026
• Require reliable transportation for regular travel throughout CVP multi-county region
• Involve working in vegetable crops that have been treated with pesticides
• Involve some work on diverse vegetable crops, including organic

Application deadline: January 31, 2026

2025 Year in Review

Our 2025 Year in Review and 2026 Preview report highlights some of the many research and educational programs led by our team in 2025. Plus, we provide a sneak peek at some of our plans for 2026!

• Integrating Laser Weeders into Muck Onion Production
• Cornell Vegetable Program Advances Cover Crop Research
• New, Interactive Pesticide Safety Programming Protects Farmer Health
• Specialty Potato Variety Trial Tests Varieties During a Hot Growing Season
• Mushroom Enthusiasm Grows
• Equipping Sweet Corn Growers for an Emerging Disease: Tar Spot
• Farm Food Safety Educational Outreach
• Sustainable Pest Management for New York Urban Farmers
• In 2026...

Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines Paused

From Cornell IPM:

Highlighting its commitment to quality and long-term sustainability, Cornell Integrated Pest Management's Pesticide Safety Education Program has announced a pause in production of the 2026 Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines.

Cornell IPM Director Alejandro Calixto said this temporary measure is the result of a comprehensive reimagining process facilitated by Illume Projects of Ithaca, which included end-user interviews, internal surveys and sales data analytics.

"It became clear to us that we cannot continue producing the guidelines and fully restructure them at the same time," Calixto said. "By pausing production, we can dedicate all available resources and time to rebuilding the production process, ensuring that when we re-launch in 2027, the guidelines will reflect a modernized approach built around the grower and other user experience."

A series of annually updated reference manuals produced by Cornell IPM and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines are widely used by farmers, agronomists, crop consultants and extension educators in New York and throughout the Northeast. They include information about current IPM recommendations, pesticide options, cultural practices, nutrient management, disease, insect and weed identification and resistance-management strategies.

Calixto and Pesticide Safety Education Program Lead Mike Helms will spearhead efforts to restructure the guideline process over the next 12 months, with a goal of launching a more streamlined, user-friendly version in 2027.

Limited copies of the 2025 guidelines remain available for purchase while supplies last through The Cornell Store. The 2026-2027 Greenhouse Guidelines will be available.

For more information contact Helms at mjh14@cornell.edu.