It all started with seven people and a few buildings . . .

The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva was established by an act of the state legislature in 1880 "to promote agriculture in New York through scientific investigations." The doors officially opened on March 1, 1882.

In its earliest days, Station researchers concentrated on dairy, beef cattle, swine, horticulture and the evaluation of varieties of vegetables, fruit and field crops. Still later, bacteriology, dairy science and chemistry were added.             

The Station became part of Cornell University's College of Agriculture in 1923. All research on animals was moved to Ithaca at the end of WWII.

Today, researchers concentrate on all activities related to fruits and vegetables "from the farm to the fork"-from molecular science to value-added food processing.

The Station is internationally recognized for the contributions it has made over the years. Research and extension are conducted on more than 800 acres of land by 46 faculty members, 70 graduate students, and 230 staff. Two associated labs in Highland and Portland, NY, are involved in the statewide effort.

Vision
The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station advances a sustainable plant agriculture and food system through state-of-the-art research and extension programs that address state and worldwide needs. Scientists at the station:

• Improve human health.
  
• Protect crops and the environment.
  
• Fuel economic development
• Geneva supports New York's agricultural and food industries with research, extension and education programs. Geneva:
  
• Uses the best-suited scientific tools and systems to solve both fundamental and applied scientific questions pertaining to plant agriculture and food science;
  
• Improves the competitiveness and profitability of growers and processors of fruit and vegetable crops, turf, and other expanding horticultural industries;
  
• Develops biologically and environmentally sound practices to produce, protect, and process horticultural crops and commodities;
  
• Develops and implement technologies to ensure the wholesomeness of foods;
  
• Serves the diverse clientele of the state and support emerging opportunities to enhance and expand plant-based agriculture and food systems;
  
• Helps create, attract, and retain agricultural, food, and biotechnology enterprises within New York.

Prior to 1900
More than 1,000 varieties of vegetable and field crops were evaluated from 1883 to 1885 and sound recommendations made to New York growers (Sturtevant)-a practice that continues to this day.

Using the Station's dairy herd, the chemical composition of milk and butter was investigated, and the Babcock method developed as a rapid test for fat in milk-a process still used today (Babcock).

1901-1940
Then as now, scientists explain ongoing work to growers, government officials and visitors during field days, twilight meetings, fruit schools, farm tours and other meetings.
A process for cream cheese production was developed at Geneva that doubled the production of cream cheese in New York the following year (Dahlberg).

The need for blanching of frozen foods and the documentation of their nutritive value led to the development of the frozen fruit and vegetable industry (Tressler).

Use of dwarfing rootstocks and the establishment of high-density apple orchards have helped growers increase profits and yields per acre (Apple Rootstock Breeding Program).

The relationship between chemical constitution and insecticidal efficiency was established for oil sprays. This led to the development of sprays to control insects and mites-technology that is still in use today (Chapman, Avens, Pearce).

Vegetable germplasm is continually being improved at Geneva. Among the developments: a low-water, Hi-Dri cabbage for processing sauerkraut (Dickson, Stamer); multiple virus-resistant beans (Dickson); and virus resistant crucifers and lettuce (Robinson and Provvidenti).

Subsequent generations of a mechanical harvester for grapes originally developed at Geneva help keep New York competitive with other grape-producing regions (Shaulis, Shepherson, Millier, and Moyer).

The Wine Research and Extension Program and a Wine Analysis Lab were initiated at the Station to support the more than 200 New York wineries established after the passage of the 1976 Farm Winery Act. (Food Science & Technology Dept.)

The first-ever interspecies surgical transplant was performed between two species of moths-the tobacco budworm and the corn earworm. The work helps scientists like Wendell Roelofs, Charlie Linn, and Kathy Poole at Geneva and the National Institutes of Health better understand how the brain processes the sense of smell.

2004 & beyond...

Microbiologists at Geneva have discovered a bacteriocin, a protein produced naturally by bacteria, capable of killing a large majority of Salmonella, Shigella and E. Coli O157:H7 bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. The bacteria that produces the protein is harmless and commonly found in the environment. The bacteriocin has the potential to help prevent food sickness and enhance food safety.  It has potential as a new antibiotic to help fight bacterial infections in hospitals and surgery.

Through the Cornell Agricultural and Food Technology Park, the Experiment Station is forging links with local and national research and development companies. In addition to promoting the economic development of the region by bringing in companies and jobs, the Park will foster the expansion of agriculture, food science, and biobased technologies. Links between Cornell research, extension, and industry will speed the transfer of future research into the private sector.

Each year, a number of Cornell scientists participate in or chair grant panels for the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and various other state and federal funding sources. These panels are charged with assessing research projects and distributing millions of dollars among hundreds of applicants. Grant panels are the primary means by which funding is allocated for research across the country. In their role on these panels, Geneva researchers play a key role in influencing the direction of future research throughout the country.

Future...
Faculty and staff at Geneva work directly with growers in labs and fields. Many also work directly with growers and producers through Cornell Cooperative Extension. As a result, they have become highly attuned to the needs of modern food and agriculture, and always work toward applying the technologies they develop. Researchers at Geneva are also making discoveries in the pure sciences, developing the fundamental knowledge that lays the groundwork for future research and development.