Serving Rural Areas Through Extension
Larkin Podsiedlik, Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County (CCE Madison), built her career across food systems and the nonprofit world, from community nutrition and garden education to philanthropy and SNAP-Ed. She started her most recent position with Extension in 2021. She sees CCE as a natural place for integrative work across agriculture, environment, and health, the fields where she has formal training and is most passionate. “I work here because I love ag and food systems,” she says. While she holds two master’s degrees, including an MPH, “I like to joke that I got my degree in ‘Extension’ because that’s what we are—agriculture, food, and public health.”
Cornell Cooperative Extension associations operate in every county of New York State, forming a statewide public education network rooted in the university’s land-grant mission. Each CCE office translates university research into practical programs tailored to local needs, from farming and nutrition to youth development and environmental education.
Under Podsiedlik’s leadership, CCE Madison has expanded its work in food systems, outdoor education, and community health by combining research-based knowledge with local experience to support families, farms, youth, and the environment. Located in a largely rural area where agriculture remains central to the economy and local identity, CCE Madison works to address the unique pressures rural communities face, such as fewer health resources and economic uncertainties that affect wellbeing. For farmers, those pressures often include financial strain, long working hours, and isolation, which can make it harder to seek health care and manage stress.
Underscoring a shared commitment to strengthening rural health and advancing equity, CCE Madison and Cornell Public Health have forged a strong partnership over the years, reaping benefits for Madison Country residents and for MPH students. Through internships, MPH students have helped provide tools to support farmer mental health, food access, and community education—deepening CCE’s reach in their community, while gaining on-the-ground applied experience with rural public health.
This summer, two MPH students joined CCE Madison for applied practice internships. Faisal Muhammad Pratama ‘26 created a toolkit to evaluate the community gardening initiative, while Anya Gowda ‘26 worked closely with Podsiedlik on the Environment and Nature Program, which encourages people of all ages to connect with the outdoors.
Building on the MPH intervention-planning and grant-writing course she took the prior semester, Gowda developed a logic model for the program, refining it with community input and positioning it for future evaluation and funding. Gowda also evaluated their flagship Open Farm Day, interviewing farmers and analyzing years of data on economic impact. “It was inspiring to see farmers and families of different ages so invested and excited,” she reflects. “It really showed me how much people there value their farms, their environment, and their community.”
For the students, Podsiedlik’s leadership was central to their experience. They describe her as both approachable and deeply invested in making sure their projects connected with community needs. Weekly check-ins, introductions to farmers and other partners, sharing reports, and making sure they had genuine experiences gave them the tools to succeed.
For Podsiedlik, the partnership is about mutual growth. “I like providing that early work experience for students, to help them figure out what they enjoy and what they don’t. And, if we can also be their first step toward seeing themselves in a career with Extension, that’s awesome.”
Author: Audrey Baker
Source: https://blogs.cornell.edu/
Comments
Related Articles
Copyright © 2026 - All Rights Reserved
ISSN 2768-198X
List
Add
Please enter a comment