Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

Cornell Cooperative Extension is a key outreach system of Cornell University with a strong public mission and an extensive local presence that is responsive to needs in New York communities. The Cornell Cooperative Extension educational system enables people to improve their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research knowledge to work.

The nationwide network of Cooperative Extension programs began in 1914 as a means of applying land-grant university research in understandable and useful ways to farmers and rural families. Today, Cooperative Extension serves urban, suburban, town and rural areas by offering programs in five broad areas: Agriculture & Food Systems; Children, Youth, & Families; Community & Economic Vitality; Environment & Natural Resources; and Nutrition & Health.

Each county's Cooperative Extension association is independent and seeks to serve the needs of the county in which it is located. CCE-Tompkins has an extensive system for getting input from diverse interests in the community. While the organization is independent, we work cooperatively with efforts in other counties and at the state level