Debbie Aller
AFT Senior Research Fellow | Climate and Soil Health Initiative, National Programs, AFT Fellows Program, Cornell UniversityBiography
Debbie joined AFT in November of 2023 as a member of the AFT Research Fellows Program, but she has been collaborating with AFT on a variety of projects and programs since 2018. She contributes her expertise in soil health, biochar amendments, and agricultural extension to assist farmers in adopting more sustainable soil management practices and is collaborating on AFT’s biochar efforts across multiple projects. Debbie is a soil scientist, currently serving as an extension associate at Cornell University and program coordinator for the New York Soil Health Initiative. She conducts applied research and coordinates extension activities with farmers across New York State to increase awareness and adoption of soil health and climate resilient agricultural practices, including the use of biochar. Debbie serves on the board of directors for the United States Biochar Initiative and is the lead author of the agriculture chapter of the NYS Climate Impacts Assessment Report. She earned her M.Sc. in Environmental Science and International Development from the University of Edinburgh and Ph.D. in Soil Science from Iowa State University. Currently, Debbie is co-leading the on-farm biochar demonstration trials in New York as part of AFT’s USDA Conservation Innovation Grant titled ‘Breaking Down Barriers to Biochar Adoption On Farms from Coast to Coast’.