Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development

10/12/2026

Our next Ag Workforce Central Virtual Office Hour will dive into what the new law practically means for employers, what employees’ rights are, and review other employer obligations and best practices related to personnel file recordkeeping and documentation.

Topic: Employee Access to Employer Personnel Files in NYS: The Rules Just Changed
Date: October 14, 12-1 PM EST
Guest Panelist: Michael Sciotti, Partner at Barclay Damon, LLP

Advanced registration for Virtual Office Hour is required.
Register now: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xX-4M5xtQbqA2hKMsCubLA

10/08/2026

The Agricultural Workforce Development Council of New York State (AWDC) will celebrate a decade of connecting and educating agricultural professionals when Labor Roadshow X returns this December with five in-person events and two webinars across New York State.

In-Person Events
December 7 — Walden, NY | December 9 — Malone, NY | December 15 — Batavia, NY
December 16 — Geneva, NY | December 17 — Rome, NY

Virtual Events
November 30 — Webinar | December 21 — Webinar

Learn more and register here: https://www.eventleaf.com/e/LRS

09/14/2026

The Agricultural Workforce Development Council of New York State (AWDC) will celebrate a decade of connecting and educating agricultural professionals when Labor Roadshow X returns this December with five in-person events and two webinars across New York State.

In-Person Events:
December 7 — Walden, NY
December 9 — Malone, NY
December 15 — Batavia, NY
December 16 — Geneva, NY
December 17 — Rome, NY

Virtual Events:
November 30 — Webinar
December 21 — Webinar

Additional program details, speakers, and registration information will be announced as the event approaches. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact [email protected] for sponsorship information.

09/14/2026

We have two important events this week for our audience:
1) Virtual Office Hour, September 16 at 12 PM ET
Topic: Pest Management in Farm-Provided Employee Housing
Registration in advance is required. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance. Register here: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UwVIgjKyRSeW5lt58qX0UA #/registration

2) VIDA (program delivered in the Spanish language) Live Discussion, September 17 at 7 PM ET
Topic: Family Stability and Growth While Apart
Registration is not required.
Learn more here: https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/vida-program/

Both events are free and open to our agricultural workforce community.

We hope you’ll join us!

09/11/2026

Farm owners and managers can prepare for workplace performance and conduct challenges through a new free, interactive webinar series, “Protecting Your Farm with Progressive Employee Discipline,” offered Mondays throughout November.

Register below:
Nov 2 - Introduction to Program and Progressive Discipline
https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/CsSYYlq2Q1etEA8stSy2GQ

Nov 9 - Importance of Feedback https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/as-1ojzKQwiJNG89HMfWzA

Nov 16 - Termination https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/TMbN95kNTa-oxV0DSlYcXQ

Nov 23 - Special Issues in Discipline/Termination https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/-IwU5vGAT-uMwLgxLndFFQ

08/26/2026

Virtual Office Hour Scheduled for Sept 16: Pest Management in Farm-Provided Employee Housing

Our next Ag Workforce Central Virtual Office Hour will focus on Pest Management in Farm-Provided Employee Housing. Susannah Krysko, Housing IPM Specialist with Cornell Integrated Pest Management (IPM) will highlight new Spanish-language resources available from IPM, provide practical advice for managing rodent issues, and introduce the Farm-Provided Employee Housing Pest Control Checklist.

Event Details
Topic: Pest Management in Farm-Provided Employee Housing
Date: September 16, 12-1 PM EST
Host: Jay Canzonier, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
Guest Panelist: Susannah Krysko, Housing IPM Specialist, Cornell Integrated Pest Management

Participants are encouraged to submit their questions in advance and share what pests they have a particular interest in learning more about.

Advance registration is required. Register here: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UwVIgjKyRSeW5lt58qX0UA

08/19/2026

TOMORROW: VIDA Live Discussion at 7 PM ET-How to Start a Small Business in Your Home Country

Have you ever dreamed of starting a small business in your home country? Whether you hope to invest in the future, support your family, or create an additional source of income, this session will provide practical ideas and strategies to help you turn your goals into reality.

Our featured speakers will be Mildred Alvarado, PhD, from the Cornell Small Farms Program and Jose Aguilera from Four Leaf Farm

Mildred Alvarado, PhD, is an Extension Associate who leads the Equity Farm Futures Initiative and the Futuro en Ag program. Born and raised on a small farm in Honduras, Mildred has more than 20 years of experience helping agricultural entrepreneurs in the United States and Latin America. She has personally built small businesses in several countries and will share practical lessons about investing, entrepreneurship, and creating opportunities even with limited resources.

José Luis Aguilera, grew up on a farm in Michoacán, Mexico, where his family cultivated corn and beans and raised livestock. After moving to New York State, he spent more than two decades working across the agricultural sector, gaining experience in apple orchards, diversified vegetable farms, and wineries. In 2024, José combined his lifelong agricultural knowledge and hands-on experience to launch his own commercial broiler operation. Since then, he has steadily expanded production while building valuable connections and collaborations with other local farmers and strengthening his role within the regional agricultural community.

Date: Thursday, August 20
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time

This program is delivered exclusively in the Spanish language.

A link to join the live discussion can be found on our VIDA webpage here:

One Year Skills Series for Hispanic Farm Workers Brought to you by Cornell Agricultural Workforce and Development (CAWD) , the Small Farms Program, NY Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (N…

08/11/2026

Join us this Thursday! 12 PM ET: H-2A Update for Dairy Farms and Year-Round Employers Webinar

Our next Ag Workforce Central Virtual Office Hour will focus on the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program and critical information for dairy farms and other year-round employers. In June 2026 the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a policy memo which clarified that dairy farms can participate in the H-2A program following the long-standing requirement that the employment be of a “temporary or seasonal nature”. Panelists will dive into the practical implications of the USCIS policy memo and key takeaways for dairy farms, pending federal legislation and the potential impact for year-round employers as well as critical considerations every employer thinking about participating in the H-2A program needs to know. Participants are encouraged to submit their questions in advance.

Topic: H-2A Update for Dairy Farms and Year-Round Employers
Date: August 13, 12-1 PM EST
Guest Panelists:
John Hollay, President and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE)
Chris Schulte, partner at Fisher Phillips and trusted advisor to H-2A employers nationwide
Richard Stup and Lucas Smith of Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Registration

Advance registration is required. Register here: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FIyWTBLVTIGlOmD2CTRpUQ #/registration

07/08/2026

New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) is currently recruiting for a Bilingual Agricultural Safety Educator position. This role plays an important part in supporting the health, safety, and well-being of New York's agricultural communities.

View information here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:1a6cd702-6984-436d-84ca-64dcfadb4687

For more information, please contact:
Brittany Shultis
[email protected]

07/08/2026

We welcome all Ag Supervisory Leadership alumni to join us on July 22 for our ASL Alumni Engagement Webinar. We sent emails today to all participants with a registration link that is available exclusive to alumni.

Agricultural Supervisory Leadership-Continuing Education (ASL-CE)
Kickoff Webinar
July 22, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET

Join us for discussion about how one graduate of Cornell’s Ag Supervisory Leadership certificate program is using her skills and developing other leaders in her business. We will also engage with you, past and current ASL participants, to get your input on future programs and how we can bring more value to help you in your careers!

Panelists:
• Richard Stup, Director of Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
•Jeanette Kreher Heberling, Director of Employee Experience at Kreher

Questions or didn't receive an invite? email [email protected]