Marty Slade and Callan Space: Proud graduates of LeadNY

Founded in 1985, one of the initiatives of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is LeadNY – a pioneering training program designed to help improve leadership skills, self-awareness, issues analysis, critical thinking and civic engagement. 

As described on the CALS website, “LeadNY is for committed leaders in the agriculture and food sectors who wish to step up and make a difference in their community.” Marty Slade and Callan Space both took that step and were awarded certificates of completion this past April.  

Slade was raised on his dad’s dairy farm in Homer. He said he always wanted to be involved in agriculture but wasn’t sure how, so he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Elmira College in 2001 and began his current career in 2010 in the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center, where he is currently a diagnostic operations manager. 

Millbrook Farms in Groton has been owned by the Space family since 1806. Callan’s father, Ron Space, Jr., took it over in the early 1980s, so Callan grew up feeding calves and showing cows in contests. She  was the Tompkins County dairy princess. She earned her degree in animal science from Cornell University in 2009. Currently, Callan and her husband, Jason, help to oversee the farm. They also became the owners of Owasco Meats in December 2021. 

Marty is president of the Groton Agriculture Advisory Board, and Callan is a member also. Both are actively involved in helping to build Groton High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter, and both are members of other agriculture-focused boards in the area. 

With more involvements in agriculture and the community than can be covered here, it is not surprising that Callan and Marty each pursued a spot in the LeadNY program.  

“I’ve been around agriculture all my life,” Marty said, “but I saw LeadNY as an opportunity to learn more about ag and leadership. I learned about it while attending an annual New York State Agriculture Society forum and from my executive director, Francois Elvinger.” 

Callan was familiar with the program because her dad was a graduate of LeadNY Class 6. She said, “It seemed like a natural way to reconnect with people in agriculture after being away for a while.” 

LeadNY provides one- and two-year program options. Participants meet monthly from October through April each year. 

Year one is “Leadership Fundamentals,” and meetings are held at different locations throughout New York state. The training focuses on self-awareness and leadership skill development. 

After successful completion of “Leadership Fundamentals,” participants are invited to apply for the second year of the program, called “Lead Fellows.” Most of the time commitment takes place outside of New York, with trips to Canada; Washington, D.C.; and an international study tour. 

Although they graduated together, Marty and Callan did not begin the program at the same time.  

Marty began as a member of Class 18 in 2019 at Camp Oswegatchie, where every class begins every year. He and his classmates proceeded each month to Rochester, Batavia, Syracuse, Albany and New York City.   

“In Albany, we learned about lobbying and met with senators and legislators,” Marty said, “and in the other places we learned about how food moves through the system – the food supply chain, grocery stores, etc. We also spent time at food banks and learning about food insecurity. It was eye-opening to see it first hand. We sat with hungry people in soup kitchens, and it was very moving.”  

Marty’s final visit was in March 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing his April session to be a virtual one.  

“That changed the whole dynamic,” Marty said, “and then the LeadNY board decided to take a hiatus for the next year. We stayed connected and did some bonus virtual sessions quarterly, but some classmates dropped out. I debated continuing, but I liked the program and the benefit of it and wanted to see it through.” 

Callan began her year one as a member of Class 19 in fall 2021, following the same schedule that Marty had, but she was able to have all of her visits in person.  

“It’s a profound commitment, and you have to be committed,” Callan said. “It’s a very well-known and respected program.”  

As Callan was about to begin year two, LeadNY made the decision to combine Class 18 and Class 19 to finish together. They became known as “The Goodfellows” – uniting at Camp Oswegatchie, proceeding to Washington, D.C.; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Ottawa, Canada, and then to their final study trip in Puerto Rico. 

“In Washington, we learned about the Farm Bill, and in Gettysburg, we learned about good and bad leadership,” Marty said.  

“We were able to learn about the Canadian political process in Ottawa and Canadian agriculture and trade,” Callan said. “We even got to see a Canadian portobello mushroom farm!” 

Callan and Marty each had much to say about their experiences in Puerto Rico. They were able to visit the entire island in 11 packed days, learning about the government, the import/export process, Port Authority and more.  

They were able to visit a conch farm and work with fishermen who were growing conch to replenish the ocean, a mango farm, a coffee farm, a cacao farm, the University of Puerto Rico’s dairy farm and another dairy farm and creamery.  

“There is no more sugar cane on the island due to hurricanes and politics,” Callan said. “Molasses is now imported to make rum there. We also visited the Bayer Research Facility, where research is done on soybeans. They chose Puerto Rico because of multiseason growing.” 

“We did a lot of community service,” Marty said. “We built raised-bed gardens and worked with the underserved. We saw the same thing there that we saw all over New York state – food insecurity.” 

When asked what the greatest takeaway from the program was, Marty said, “Joining LeadNY has improved my career! I’ve made new connections and expanded my professional network. I’ve received an opportunity to improve my leadership skills and taken full advantage – and try to apply these new skills every day. I’ve also been sharing these skills every chance I can so others can benefit from what I’ve learned through LeadNY.” 

“It’s helped me with networking and getting connected with Nourish New York and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier and Central New York and the New York State Farm-to-School Program,” Callan said. “It’s even helped me personally for my business, learning to write grants.” 

Callan and Marty agreed that LeadNY is the best leadership program either has ever been involved in, and they are grateful for it and the connections they made “that could last a lifetime!” 

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: 

Free summer meals for kids 

The free Summer Food Program is available for all kids 18 and under at the Groton Jr./Sr. High School, 400 Peru Rd. Monday through Friday until August 11. Breakfast hours are 7:30 to 9 a.m., and lunch is served from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

There is the option of a full salad bar with lots of fresh veggies and fruit, as well as assorted wraps or sandwiches, yogurt-, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Please note that all food must be consumed on site.  

GPL Kids Farmers Market
The Groton Public Library will host a Kids Farmers Market every Monday July 17 through Aug. 28.
GPL will receive weekly delivery of produce from the Food Bank of the Southern Tier specifically for kids to take from. There will also be some classes for learning how to cook with the vegetables. For more information, call 607-898-5055 or email director@grotonpubliclibrary.org. 

Groton Senior Club monthly meeting 

The Groton Senior Club will hold its monthly lunch and meeting at the Center Village Court housing complex on Wednesday, July 26, beginning at 12:15 p.m. All are welcome, and the event is open to senior citizens from anywhere, not just Groton. Membership is $12 per year for those who would like to join.  

Everyone is asked to bring a dish-to-pass, $1 to help cover the cost of supplies and your own place setting for the meal. Lunch begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by entertainment.