Elizabeth Buck is a fresh market vegetable specialist with the CCE Cornell Vegetable Program, serving in the westernmost counties in New York. The fresh market produce scene in western New York is multifaceted and vibrant, reflecting the region's diversity in growers, farming models, markets, and environments. Elizabeth's extension programming is designed to meet an accordingly wide range of grower educational interests and research needs. Her goal is to provide relevant, engaging programming that will equip growers with the knowledge and skills they seek as they continue to strengthen their farms, communities, and local food systems.
On-going programmatic focuses and specializations include:
- Weed management, with an emphasis on biologically-informed weed control approaches
- Crops ranging from asparagus to zucchini, with a concentration in warm-season vegetables
- Soil health and on-farm resiliency to climate variability
- Serving historically underserved grower audiences, including beginning farmers, minority communities, urban growers & women
Elizabeth completed a B.S. in Plant Sciences and Agricultural Sciences at Cornell University and earned an M.S. at the University of Guelph studying integrated weed management systems in vegetable production. She is an active member of the Northeastern Weed Science Society and the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group. Elizabeth grew up working in her family's small, retail bedding plant greenhouse and remains a flower fanatic to this day, though she holds a grudge against petunias.
