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Cornell Cooperative Extension outlines programs, funding shifts and recent grant activity
Summary
At the May 12 Tompkins County Planning, Energy and Environmental Quality Committee meeting, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County director Cynthia Cave Gaetani reviewed CCE’s organization, funding trends, program delivery and grant activity, and flagged areas where the county and CCE could increase coordination.
Cynthia Cave Gaetani, director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, told the Planning, Energy and Environmental Quality Committee on May 12 that CCE wants to increase its direct engagement with county legislators as its local funding share has declined and program demand remains high.
“We are a partner of the county, and we would like to be as present and available and ... interactive as we can be to be the best we can be in this county for this county,” Cave Gaetani said during the committee meeting.
Why it matters: CCE provides a wide range of services countywide — including 4‑H youth programs, nutrition education tied to SNAP, farmland access work, workforce development and energy/Climate Smart Communities technical support — that county departments contract for and that bring state, federal and philanthropic funding into Tompkins County.
Key funding and structure points: Cave Gaetani summarized how County Law 224 structures CCE in New York, explaining that CCE associations are created by state law, that Cornell University provides administrative oversight through its Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and that CCE associations themselves are not university employees. She said New York State provides employee benefits through the State Comptroller’s office and that the county’s direct share of CCE revenue has trended downward in recent years.
“We often get asked, are we employees of Cornell? The answer is no. We are not,” Cave Gaetani said, noting the association’s unique legal and funding status.
Volunteer and program metrics: CCE reported 4,921 volunteer hours recorded for 4‑H in 2024 and 413 active volunteers overall; the beautification program recorded more than 700 volunteer hours. Cave Gaetani said many youth services are free to participants and rely heavily on volunteers.
Grant writing and farmland programs: Cave Gaetani described a county enhancement of $50,000 (split $25,000 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2025) to support a grant‑writer/coaching role. She said that support produced five workshops, 27 one‑on‑one coaching sessions and 21 grant applications totaling $940,000 in requests as of April 2025; those are applications, not awarded funds. Greg Mezey, a county legislator, confirmed the applications were for new grants.
The farmland access transition program received $11,000 in New York State funding via American Farmland Trust to support new generation farmers; CCE reported direct support to 20 landowners and 19 farmland seekers and five signed land‑use agreements resulting from that program so far.
Program highlights and headwinds: CCE’s climate and energy work includes the Climate Smart Communities education program, which Cave Gaetani said helped municipalities secure an estimated $2.1 million in implementation grants since 2017. She also reported declining enrollment and operating losses in the agency’s primitive‑pursuits and overnight camp programs (three of four overnight camps were canceled this summer for low enrollment).
On nutrition and food security, Cave Gaetani said SNAP‑ED and related outreach helped bring roughly $19 million into Tompkins County last year under a local multiplier estimate, and CCE has developed an enrollment campaign to reach the estimated 50% of eligible county residents who do not use SNAP. Cave Gaetani said CCE is prepared to implement that enrollment campaign if funding is secured.
Criminal justice and workforce efforts: CCE delivers an emotional‑regulation day‑reporting program used as an alternative to incarceration under contract with county agencies. Cave Gaetani said the county contract for that program is approximately $20,000 per year. She also described CCE’s role as lead agency for the county’s green workforce and energy workforce development initiatives and noted recent federal funding freezes that have affected program capacity.
Next steps and requests: Cave Gaetani invited the committee to request focused presentations on specific CCE programs during the summer ahead of the budget season and offered to supply one‑pagers showing program outcomes and return‑on‑investment details for legislators to review in advance of budget deliberations.
Ending: Committee members thanked CCE for the briefing and suggested follow‑up appearances in July or August focused on programs that may seek additional county funding during the 2025 budget process.
