Michelle M Leinfelder-Miles

Michelle is the Delta Crops Resource Management Advisor serving San Joaquin, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, and Contra Costa counties. Her educational background includes a B.S. in Crop Science and Management from U.C. Davis, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Horticulture from Cornell University. At Cornell, her research focused on soil management in apple orchards. Michelle has also done research in Spain, Chile, and New Zealand studying olives, wine grapes, and kiwifruit, respectively. In her role as Delta farm advisor, she conducts a research and extension program that addresses agronomic crop production and water and soil resource management. Specific interests include variety evaluations in grain corn, dry beans, small grains, and rice; nitrogen management; cover cropping and soil health; and soil salinity management in Delta cropping systems.

As County Director, Michelle oversees UC Cooperative Extension programming in San Joaquin County. Local programs deliver robust, science-based information in plant and animal agriculture, natural resource management and the Delta, community nutrition and health, youth development, gardening and horticulture, and food preservation. Through science and service, Cooperative Extension partners with communities to address local needs.