By Kaitlyn Bell
If you’re searching for a slice of calm during the early school months at Cornell, I’ve got the perfect remedy: October. Think back to the first week of the month—the crisp weather, fall events, and vibrant orange leaves. While fall is beautiful on any university campus, Ithaca, with its local farms and big harvest season, sets Cornell apart, especially during this time of year.
Ithaca’s deep agricultural roots are reflected in how Cornell operates in the fall. The real standout is the students, particularly those involved in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and student-run farms. One place that helped me navigate my first prelim season and experience the quintessential Ithaca fall is Dilmun Hill, which hosted its annual Fall Harvest on October 5, 2024.
Dilmun Hill, a student-run farm part of Cornell and the Ithaca community since 1996, promotes community through ecologically-based agriculture. Student manager Elinor Behlman ‘26 shares how important that sense of community is at Dilmun Hill.
“There’s also a great and growing community around the farm, and I’m excited to see what it becomes in the future,” she said.
Dilmun Hill offers students hands-on experience, especially during harvest season, as Behlman explained.
“Our role is to figure out what crops to plant and how to grow them, and to tend to the crops throughout the season, addressing any challenges we come across. We also take the lead on figuring out how and where the produce will be sold. Additionally, we get to organize events like this one along with the Dilmun Hill steering committee.”
The Fall Harvest event itself was organized entirely by students. “To prep for this event, the Dilmun managers and steering committee met together a few times to discuss ideas for the fall fest,” Behlman told the Sun.
The event featured pumpkin and squash harvesting, flower picking, pumpkin painting, and both lunch and a community dinner. There was live music from the Cast Iron Cowboys, invited by the farm through Fanclub Collective. Organizing the meal was another big part of the planning.
“Blythe Van Ness, one of the other farm managers, led the dinner planning in collaboration with Anabel’s Grocery, where she also works as a student coordinator. A few students from Anabel’s cooked all the food the night before,” Behlman said. “On the day of the event, the other managers and I coordinated pumpkin picking, flower pressing, and other activities, while also harvesting crops for the week.”
For many attendees, like Ruby Lin ‘28, the event was an unexpected highlight.
“I think the event was a really great way to bring people together and enjoy fall! I met people that I otherwise wouldn’t, who enjoyed spending a day at the farm.”
Lin also appreciated the event’s community dinner, which capped off the day.
“I think the community dinner was a really wholesome way to meet new people through trying each other’s cooking and talking about the food. It was also heartwarming receiving compliments on our pumpkin painting and little flower bouquets. Everyone was so sweet and approachable, and I had a really great day. It also gave me insight into what the student farm does, and it’s so cool that it’s completely student-run.”
For Behlman, the Fall Harvest event is a perfect transition to the end of the season.
“I think fall harvest does serve as a good transition into the fall season. This is the third year I’ve helped with a Dilmun fall harvest event, although this is my only year as a manager. It’s just a way for a lot of people to come together and enjoy some food and learn about what the farm has to offer. This also marks the end of the season for most of our crops.”
As the leaves fall and the temperatures drop, students brace for the challenges of prelim season. Events like the Dilmun Hill Fall Harvest serve as a reminder of the special sense of community and connection Cornell and Ithaca offer. For those interested in getting involved, you can follow Dilmun Hill’s journey on their Instagram, @dilmunhill.
Kaitlyn Bell is a freshman in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She can be reached at [email protected].