Cornell: A History of Agricultural Leadership and Fresh Produce Innovation

"[This college] was not established to serve or to magnify Cornell University. It belongs to the people of the state. The farmers of the state have secured it. Their influence has placed it here... If there is any man standing on the land, unattached, uncontrolled, who feels that he has disadvantages and a problem, this College of Agriculture stands for that man." – Liberty Hyde Bailey

In 1868, as the nation still felt the aftershocks of the American Civil War, a small town in the rolling hills of upstate New York became the cradle of a groundbreaking vision. In Ithaca, on a modest farm, an institution was born - one that would go on to revolutionize agriculture and the fresh produce industry, leaving a lasting impact on the United States and the world.

Who were Ezra Cornell and Andrew White, the visionaries behind this ambitious endeavor? How did their bold ideas and the Morrill Land-Grant Act transform a farm into a university with a mission to reshape agriculture?

What role did Liberty Hyde Bailey play in establishing Cornell as a leader in agricultural innovation? How did the university’s experiment stations and the Cornell Cooperative Extension spread cutting-edge techniques across the globe? What was the significance of the Cornell-Nanking project, and how did Cornell’s plant breeding programs produce iconic crops like the Empire apple and Concord grape?

Looking ahead, how will Cornell continue to drive the evolution of agriculture in the years to come?

Join John, Patrick, and special guest Corey Ryan Earle of Cornell University as they explore the rich history of this esteemed institution and its extraordinary contributions to agriculture and fresh produce.

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Visit the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS): https://cals.cornell.edu/

Apply for the Executive Leadership Development Program at Cornell, March 23-27, 2025: https://www.freshproduce.com/events/executive-leadership-development-program-at-cornell-university/

In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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