Alumni With an Alum at the Helm, Co-op Extension Makes a Difference in NY Stories You May Like Alumni Ag Experts Help Protect NY’s Poinsettia Industry In New England, Two Sisters Grow Cranberries for Your Holiday Table Cornell-Based Program Cultivates Stability for NY’s Farming Families Heading the organization that reaches every county, Andy Turner ’88, MPS ’93, says, ‘There are always new adventures ahead’ By Beth Saulnier For Andy Turner ’88, MPS ’93, agricultural extension work is something of a family business. His grandfather was a dairy specialist for New Hampshire’s extension system in the 1930s and ’40s, and both his parents were extension educators in the Rochester, NY, area. “I basically grew up in the extension office,” says Turner. “It’s been part of my life since childhood. But who knew I’d end up having an entire career in it?” For the past two years, Turner has served as director of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), the statewide system of outreach and education devoted to sharing out the University’s expertise in agriculture and other fields. With self-governing offices in each of New York’s counties—plus NYC’s five boroughs—it works with local residents to identify needs and priorities; in many agricultural communities, it’s both an essential resource and a mainstay of rural life. I basically grew up in the extension office. It’s been part of my life since childhood. But who knew I’d end up having an entire career in it? Turner started out as a 4-H educator in the Hudson Valley’s Rockland County the year after earning his undergrad degree—CCE runs that venerable youth development program in New York—and went on to various extension positions, including statewide 4-H director. On top of holding two Cornell degrees, Turner is married to a fellow CALS alum, Anne Horst ’90; their daughter, Madeline Turner ’22, BS ’23, is an ILR grad. He holds an EdD in executive leadership from St. John Fisher University, where his dissertation looked at innovative extension projects. “One of the great things about extension is that you’re continually learning new things and figuring out how to adapt that knowledge and make it useful to real people,” Turner observes. “So it’s always exciting, and there are always new adventures ahead. It’s a great way to spend a life.” In late July 2025, Cornellians chatted with Turner about CCE, its history, and its role in the state. The following are excerpts from that conversation: To start off: What is Cornell Cooperative Extension? It’s part of a national movement that began in 1862 with the passing of the Morrill Act, signed by Abraham Lincoln. To put it simply, it was the first time we expressed as a nation that we wanted higher education to be available to the entire population, and Cornell was one of the first land-grant colleges. The second part of it was the legislation that created the extension system: in 1914, the Smith-Lever Act created federal funding and a process to extend the colleges’ knowledge and science into communities. noël heaney / cornell universitySusan McCouch, PhD ’90 (at right), a professor of plant breeding and genetics in CALS, operates a harvester with a CCE consultant and rice farmer on an extension plot at a Cornell-run research farm outside Ithaca. New York was an early adopter. Extension became connected to all the state’s communities, urban and rural—not only in agriculture, but nutrition and the 4-H program—doing this work of extending Cornell’s knowledge to the public. State law not only created an official connection between extension and the University, but gave a lot of autonomy to the county extension offices. They each function like a 501c3 nonprofit, so they can focus on the things that are most important in their communities. Extension became connected to all the state’s communities, urban and rural—doing this work of extending Cornell’s knowledge to the public. What’s the relationship between the University and CCE? Our county associations are each connected to Cornell, and my team of 35 provides the core administration for that county system, which has about 1,500 employees. From the beginning, our focus areas and programs evolved from science and research coming from Cornell—largely from CALS and Human Ecology, but across the University—and some faculty have part of their positions devoted to extension work. sreang hok / cornell universityCCE nutrition educators give a cooking demonstration at a school in Buffalo. Why is CCE important to the state? It’s not just about sharing information; it’s working together, identifying challenges and strategies. Even with technology, there’s still something powerful about human-to-human engagement. Our educators live in those communities; they’re trusted, and people know them. It’s an environment that leads to consensus and dialogue—combining the best aspects of what people look for in government and also reflecting their local culture. That leads to real impact—not top-down, but bottom-up. Stories You May Like Alumni Ag Experts Help Protect NY’s Poinsettia Industry In New England, Two Sisters Grow Cranberries for Your Holiday Table On the ground, we reached two million New Yorkers in 2024. It’s an important part of Cornell’s mission, particularly now. It demonstrates how higher education impacts real lives, every day. Even with technology, there’s still something powerful about human-to-human engagement. How is CCE viewed by the state’s ag community? Farmers understand the role that Cornell has played in building New York’s agricultural economy. They rely on getting the latest information, especially with how fast things change now—whether it’s climate change or invasive species. In fact, when the federal executive budget recently called for significant cuts to the funding that supports extension, there was immediate reaction from New York State residents and farmers. They wrote letters and called their elected officials and told them: “No, we need this. These funds help support programs that make a difference in our community.” R.J. Anderson / CCEA CCE specialist works on a community garden in Brooklyn. Can you give some examples of Cooperative Extension projects around the state? On Long Island, a large part of the economy is focused on the marine environment. So our Suffolk County extension office is heavily involved in looking at innovative ways to restore the ecosystem to support the shellfish industry. In Jefferson County, we’re connecting veterans looking for a new career after retiring from military service; a surprising number are interested in agriculture, but don’t know how to get involved. So the extension folks there connect them with growers, through a mentorship approach, and it’s been highly successful. And in NYC, there’s a real increase in interest in urban agriculture. So we have a team working with rooftop farms in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and helping other agencies understand their unique needs. jason koski / Cornell universityCCE's shellfish hatchery in Long Island's Suffolk County is the state’s largest. What are some ways in which you interact with folks who are not in the business of agriculture? We reach about 300,000 young people per year with 4-H programs through the county extension offices, and we have 10 4-H camps that are open to all New York State youth. We also have a lot of programming in natural resources and the environment—and of course, in horticulture and gardening. It’s an important part of Cornell’s mission, particularly now. It demonstrates how higher education impacts real lives, every day. Do Cornell students get involved in extension? Absolutely. One powerful way is our internship program for students from CALS and Human Ecology: every summer, 20–30 undergrads work with a faculty member and a county extension office. It could range from working with youth at a 4-H site to supporting field trials in an agriculture project to doing community gardening in an urban space. sreang hok / cornell universityA 4-H afterschool program in Jefferson County, on the state's northern border. And lastly: are there any common misconceptions about CCE that you’d like to clear up? One would be that, because of our beginnings and focus, it’s only a rural, agricultural program. But it’s very much about the transfer of knowledge, and the process for doing that—which is democratic and community based—can apply to agriculture, natural resources, youth challenges, or nutrition. The next would be that it’s not just about having access to knowledge; you can Google answers or use ChatGPT. It’s about working with people and communities to figure out their needs—and what’s the best way to address those issues together to create meaningful, long-term change. Top: Turner in Cornell Botanic Gardens. (Jason Koski / Cornell University.) Published August 1, 2025 Comments Kathleen Cook 8 Aug, 2025 This is probably the best article I have read describing what Cooperative Extension is and what its mission is. “It’s about working with people and communities to figure out their needs—and what’s the best way to address those issues together to create meaningful, long-term change.” Exactly! and ” the transfer of knowledge, and the process for doing that—which is democratic and community based” Those two statements are critical in explaining CCE, and I will likely be using much of the wording used in this article to convey that information toward a better Community understanding. I am not a Cornell alum, but a nutrition educator with CCE in Broome County. thank you! Reply J. Russell-Anelli 11 Aug, 2025 Kudos to Kwesi Joseph (see photo above), our CCE specialist working on community/harvest garden in NYC. We need more like him and the many other extension associates across New York State! Extension, a partnership (really relationship) between the Land Grants (Cornell), County Associates/offices and their communities with the aid of State and local leadership to generate actionable and timely research and practice. In other words a system which 1) determines research and program needs, 2) communicates outcomes and 3) supports implementation. It a damn good system and, while primarily active in four colleges, is part and parcel of the entirety of the Cornell ethos and mission. … and it’s one of the reason’s why I love Cornell. Reply Fred Balfour, Class of 1963 12 Aug, 2025 As a Michigan state alum (63 metallurgical engineering), I was pleased and inspired by this article. Cooperative extension was a significant influence in Van Buren County where I was a fifth generation of what had been farmers on both sides of my family. Our extension office in Bangor, Michigan was a small building on the edge of town that was clearly an influence in the focused fruit, and truck crop agriculture in southwestern Michigan. This article made me imagine a similar article but combining the extension service experience in multiple states. Such reporting could be an important input to the discussion these days of which federal programs should be continued and enhanced. Reply Carol Wiley Bossard, Class of 1964 12 Aug, 2025 As an addition to Andy’s comment about continued learning, I just attended a Retired 4-H professionals’ picnic, and even retirement doesn’t stop these people. They are still trying new areas of learning and/or sharing their expertise in some way with the communities at large. They are an inspiration for anyone who thinks retirement leads to boredom. These retirees are alert, fun to be with, and full of ideas. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond ILR’s Worker Institute Helps Guide a Newly Energized Labor Movement Quizzes & Puzzles Cornellian Crossword: ‘Schools of Thought’ Quizzes & Puzzles Cornellian Crossword: ‘Halls of Fame’