Chelsey Mahany: Teaching and inspiring Groton’s agriculture students 

 

Chelsey Mahany, Groton Junior/Senior High School’s (GHS) agriculture (ag) teacher and advisor to its Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter, stepped into both positions when the new academic year began in September. She has already made her love of agriculture and commitment to inspire her students apparent to all who meet her.

Mahany was born and raised in Arkport, New York and attended DeRuyter Central School, graduating in 2012. During her own high school years, she was president of both the student council and FFA and was involved in community events and organizations. She knows firsthand what it means to be a high school student who is focused on agriculture.

Mahany said that her mother, Anastasia, was the influence of her love for all things agriculture.

“She has always had us involved with anything to do with livestock of all shapes and sizes,” Chelsey said of her mother. “I was in 4-H, FFA, showed cows and raised beef, chickens and swine. If you name it and it’s ag-related, I’ve had some sort of involvement in it.”

Chelsey added that her dad, Gregory, is a crop farmer in western New York, and that she has one younger brother, Matthew. She said that makes her “the oldest, and therefore, the wisest.”

After high school, Chelsey attended Morrisville State College for Ag Business, and was on its Western Equestrian Team. She then switched to Dairy Management and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2016.

After taking some time off from school, Chelsey went to SUNY Oswego to earn her master’s degree in Ag Education. She graduated in 2022.

Prior to her current position at GHS, Chelsey worked full time for GENEX Cooperative, for CRI as a senior reproductive technician, for Madison County 911 as a public service telecommunicator and for several dairy and horse farms as needed – all at the same time.

“I was working full time for GENEX after Morrisville, and at the same time I was getting my master’s,” Chelsey said. “I was also working full time at the 911 center while getting my master’s, and now I help out part time at both. I decided to go back to school for ag ed when I worked for Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District, also in between colleges, and saw the need for ag education.”

In addition to all that, Chelsey keeps busy at home with a small flock of chickens; a quarter horse named Ike’s Zan Eagle, which she calls “Ike”; her dog Jake, a German shepherd/coonhound adopted from East Coast Adoptions; and her cat, Duke, adopted from CNY SNAP.

Chelsey said that she was drawn to the position at GHS because Groton is an area she was familiar with, but she was also excited about the ag programs and what she could do to teach and inspire students about agriculture.

“I am teaching everything from sustainability to types of farming, where our food comes from, where the prices are determined, different livestock and crop identification, nutrition programs, animal welfare and husbandry, history in agriculture, work ethic, self-motivation, different types of farming, soil science, types of jobs in ag, case files and more,” she said.

Last week’s edition of Groton on the Inside (https://www.tompkinsweekly.com/articles/equipping-the-next-generation-for-options-in-agriculture/highlighted the Groton Agriculture Advisory Board (GAAB),  for which Chelsey is grateful and very excited about the partnership and opportunities it offers her and her students.

 “I have a seriously strong and supportive ag advisory board,” she said. “We work together well because we are able to have such open communication at any and all times. They are extremely supportive and do a fantastic job of working with me on things that they would like to see happen as well as things that I can make happen. In some aspects, we are working from the ground up, but in other aspects we are able to take what we have and run with it.”

Chelsey spoke highly of two ag teachers, whom she called “outstanding.”

“(They) really made a difference in so many parts of my life,” she said. “I also had a fantastic advisor at Morrisville who constantly reminded me that I needed to not limit myself or my options in life and to pursue my goals.”

When asked what her plans, hopes, and dreams are for the future of GHS’s ag programs, Chelsey was very clear that her plans are not hopes and dreams at all, but goals.

“I wake up every morning ready to teach the next generation of future agriculturists,” she said. “Whether they be active parts of the leadership we need in the ag community, farmers, educated consumers or just educated parts of the discussion that is ag these days, it is important to me that my students learn something every day that helps them contribute to the sustainability and future that our country needs.”

Chelsey added, “This generation has so much potential to be exactly what we need in the ag industry, and I am doing everything I can to make sure that they have the tools they need to be able to make their community, wherever they end up, a better place.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.  

 

In brief: 

 Groton Story Walk updated for winter 

The Groton Story Walk, located on the trail behind Groton Memorial Park, has been updated for winter with “Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner. It is a delightful story for all those who wonder, “What do snowmen do at night?”  

 Ridge Runners spaghetti supper 

 The Groton Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club will hold a spaghetti supper from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 at its clubhouse, 748 Salt Rd., 1 mile north of Rt. 90. Meals include spaghetti and meatballs and a side salad. Cost is $12 for adults, $11 for senior citizens, and $10 for children ages 5-12. Children 4 and under may eat for free. This is a perfect way to enjoy a unique dining experience in a rustic country setting. Take-out dinners are also available.

Cabin fever? Groton has the cure! 

 Save the date now for a fabulous, not-to-be-missed opportunity to shake off those winter doldrums and have a little fun at Groton’s annual Cabin Fever Festival, hosted by Groton Recreation. The festival will be held in the high school gym, 400 Peru Road, from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 4.

The festival was originally known as “Winterfest” but changed its name to Cabin Fever Festival in 2015. The event has gained significant popularity over the past decade as more attractions and activities have been added.