Anya Osatuke, Western NY Berry Extension Specialist for Cornell CCE.
Growers in Western New York will be seeing a new face around the Cornell CCE offices. Get to know Anya Osatuke, who joins the team as Western New York Berry Extension Specialist.
Anya grew up in Ohio near Cincinnati, the daughter of Russian immigrants. She spent her summers eating honeyberries, currants, gooseberries, and strawberries while visiting her grandparents in Russia.
Anya studied botany and Russian at Miami University of Ohio, and moved on to Cornell University to get a master’s in horticulture. At Cornell, Anya was mentored by Dr. Marvin Pritts and Dr. Gavin Sacks. She studied how strawberry production methods can affect the chemistry of the fruits. After graduation, Anya continued to work with Pritts to measure how weather can influence strawberry fruit quality.
As the Western New York Berry Extension Specialist, Anya is eager to work with growers to help grow and market their berries and small fruits. Every Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30pm, Anya co-hosts Berry Office Hours, an informal Zoom Q&A session with Eastern New York Berry Specialist Laura McDermott.
Contact Anya at 607-752-2793 or aco56@cornell.edu.
To join the Thursday-afternoon Berry Office House sessions, use this link or call 646-876-9923.