Geneva Greenhouses to get $4.7 million upgrade

From The Cornell Chronicle:

Agricultural research at Cornell will get a big boost, thanks to a $4.7 million investment in greenhouses at the university’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) in Geneva, N.Y.

The two-year project, funded by money released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will reconstruct 21,000 square feet of greenhouses at NYSAES, which were built during the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. Construction is expected to begin in May 2013 and will transform the greenhouses into much-needed, state-of-the-art facilities.

New glass, increased eave heights, improved lighting, retractable shade curtains, upgraded cooling and climate controls will not only improve research capacity, but will also optimize energy efficiency.

“The critical research being done today in Geneva requires state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities that can only be achieved through modernization and expansion,” said Thomas Burr, the Goichman Family Director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Research in plant breeding, plant pathology and entomology conducted in the greenhouses advances scientific knowledge while also providing specific, viable solutions to the perennial biological problems farmers face, Burr said. The production of field crops, fruits and vegetables is a $2 billion-a-year industry in New York.

“Innovations pioneered in the greenhouses will translate to tangible products that have positive economic impacts on New York. For example, many fruit and vegetable farms in south central New York are family-run operations that sell directly to their customers through pick-your-own, farmers markets, farm stands and community-supported agricultural programs,” Burr added.

Modernization of the greenhouses will also improve educational opportunities for more than 50 graduate and undergraduate students who use the facilities, as well as outreach programs designed to engage elementary and high school students.

Funding for the project was secured through the efforts of New York State Sen. Michael Nozzolio ’73, M.S. ’77 (R-54 of Fayette), Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-129 of Canandaigua) and Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Darrel J. Aubertine.

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