
Elizabeth Higgins
Team Leader, Business Management SpecialistHudson Valley Lab
3357 US Hwy 9W
Highland, NY 12528
phone 845.691.7151
cell 518.949.3722
email Elizabeth
Areas of Interest
Business Management & Planning, Risk Management, Agricultural Economics
Liz Higgins started her career in agriculture in policy analysis in Washington, DC. One of her assignments was as special assistant to the Administrator of USDA-AMS on the Final Rule of the National Organic Program. Liz has experience in rural economic development as the director of the Center for Rural Development at Louisiana Tech University and most recently worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension in both Ulster and Sullivan Counties as a program leader in Nutrition and Consumer Programs, Watershed Management and Agriculture and Natural Resources. Liz will be providing research and extension support to growers in Eastern New York in farm business management, business planning and risk management and agricultural economics. Liz is looking forward to working with eastern NY growers on a wide variety of projects.

Upcoming Events
New York State Agritourism Conference
November 10 - November 11, 2025 : New York State Agritourism Conference
Saratoga Springs, NY
The first-ever New York State Agritourism Conference, hosted by the CCE Agritourism Program Work Team, is designed to support farms in growing successful visitor experiences. This statewide gathering will feature expert-led sessions, peer networking, and practical tools to help farms expand direct sales, education, hospitality, and entertainment offerings.
Date:
- November 10: A full day of educational sessions targeted at beginning or experienced agritourism operators.
- November 11: A half-day, interactive networking session with fellow attendees.
ASL 104sp Seleccion y organizacion del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team) taught in Spanish
November 12, 2025 : ASL 104sp Selección y organización del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team) in Spanish
ASL104-SP: Selección y organización del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team - impartido en español) ¡Inscripciones abiertas!
En este curso identificamos cómo escribir descripciones de puestos disponibles en el trabajo para atraer a los mejores candidatos. Aprenderá a encontrar empleados con un perfil deseado, cómo entrevistar y seleccionar a las personas adecuadas. Descubrirá cómo completar la documentación de nuevos empleados, la autorización de empleo y la contratación de personal (on-boarding): es decir, cómo efectivamente incorporar nuevos empleados al rancho en una manera exitosa y productiva.
Los temas incluyen:
- Convertirse en un lugar de trabajar preferido
- Planear cuántos y qué trabajadores se necesitan
- Diseñar descripciones de trabajos para un mejor reclutamiento
- Cómo evitar favoritismos y discriminación
- Cómo buscar y entrevistar los nuevos trabajadores
- Cómo decidir a quién contratar
- Y cómo dar una buena bienvenida al nuevo trabajador
Inicio del curso: miércoles, 12 de noviembre de 2025
Discusiones en vivo por Zoom: Cada martes 18 de noviembre - 23 de diciembre, de 1:00 a 2:00 p.m. (hora del Este)
ASL 105 Employee Development and Training
November 17, 2025 : ASL 105: Employment Development and Training
ASL105: Employee Development and Training
Three leadership practices are essential for supervisors: setting clear expectations, employee training and development, and providing performance feedback.
In Employee Development and Training you will learn best practices to plan and conduct training that engages employees, supports retention, and helps ensure great quality work. You will also learn how to create a culture of continuous learning and performance improvement through employee development, coaching, and career planning. This is a 6-week online course, taught in English.
Topics include:
- Planning effective training programs
- Onboarding new employees
- On the job training
- Staff development
- Creating a culture for continuous learning
- Coaching and career planning
Course begins: Wednesday, November 12 Live Zoom discussions: Tuesdays, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET beginning November 18 through December 23.
Registration closes November 17 at 5 PM ET.
