Nina Cassidy
Corvallis,Oregon
Summary
Agricultural Educator with experience in agricultural education, experiential learning, sustainable agriculture, and community programs. Experienced in developing and facilitating field-based workshops, coordinating student learning activities, and managing logistics in a variety of agricultural settings. Background includes organic farming, viticulture, food production, grant administration, and service-learning.
Overview
6
6
years of post-secondary education
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Agricultural Educator
Independent Agricultural Education Consultant
Monmouth, OR
06.2010 - Current
- Comprehensive Field Instruction: Delivered year-round, hands-on instruction to student groups, guiding them through every practical phase of agricultural production from soil management and pruning to seasonal harvests.
- Experiential Learning Management: Led outdoor educational projects across a diverse range of agricultural sites—including commercial vineyards, orchards, and berry operations—with a strict focus on sustainable and organic farming systems.
- Applied Agricultural Workshops: Designed and facilitated community and school workshops that translated technical farm protocols into accessible lessons on crop care, soil health, and essential field safety.
Harvest Operations Consultant
Tyee Wine Cellars
Corvallis, Oregon
01.2024 - 12.2025
- Harvest Logistics & Machinery: Coordinated harvest preparation, supervised harvest crews, and managed crop processing and machinery operations to ensure timely and efficient harvest.
- Training & Mentorship: Recruited, trained, and mentored seasonal interns on field protocols, safety standards, and technical production workflows to enhance team capability.
- Technical Enology & Winemaking: Managed fruit fermentation, monitored chemical stability, and oversaw cellar storage systems and bulk wine movements to maintain quality through bottling.
Enologist & Viticulturist/ Operations Manager
Emerson Vineyards
Monmouth, Oregon
01.2008 - 12.2023
- End-to-End Winemaking & Lab Analytics: Directed commercial winery production from raw harvest intake through fermentation, chemical stability monitoring, laboratory analysis, and final bottling to achieve consistent product quality and compliance.
- Comprehensive Viticulture Management: Led full-scale vineyard operations across diverse soil profiles and microclimates, overseeing canopy management, integrated pest management (IPM), spraying protocols, and seasonal crop health tracking to ensure optimal grape quality.
- Harvest Logistics & Crew Leadership: Coordinated harvest preparation, field data collection, and machinery operations while supervising seasonal harvest crews and student interns through high-intensity production cycles to deliver timely and efficient harvest outcomes.
Harvest Enologist
Lemelson Vineyard
Carlton, Oregon
01.2010 - 12.2010
- Technical Production: Managed daily technical production workflows, executing protocols from primary and secondary fermentations to final barrel aging and storage, ensuring seamless production continuity.
- Laboratory and Analysis: Collected, monitored, and analyzed critical chemical parameters of juice; operated GC-MS equipment to track and report specific compound taints in wine, ensuring quality standards.
- Assisted in field monitoring and fruit processing, implementing strict quality control metrics during high-intensity harvest to maintain product integrity.
Harvest Viticulturist
Rex Hill / A-to-Z Wineworks
Newberg, Oregon
01.2009 - 09.2009
- Independent Multi-Site Assessment: Evaluated and monitored over 50 regional cultivation sites, assessing soil-floor management, elevation profiles, and cultivar health across diverse microclimates to ensure optimal growth conditions.
- Agronomic Data Analytics: Conducted field data collection and monitored for pests and diseases, generating crop yield estimates that informed production and harvest decisions while ensuring crew efficiency and compliance.
- Spatial Mapping & Trends: Executed agricultural management plans, maintained analytical files to track long-term trends, and created unique soil maps for each site to enhance resource management.
Grant Administrator
Columbia River Estuary Study Task Force
Astoria, OR
01.2001 - 12.2003
- Grant Administration & Financial Compliance: Administered, tracked, and managed complex environmental grants; directed full project billing cycles and financial tracking to ensure absolute compliance with funding requirements.
- Environmental Assessment: Conducted on-site evaluations and audits of finished riparian restoration projects to verify project success and adherence to environmental standards.
Founder / Director
Northwest Oregon Friendship School
Astoria, Oregon
01.1998 - 01.2003
- Program Founding & Compliance: Founded and operated specialized early childhood education program, ensuring operational logistics, regulatory compliance, and inclusive learning environments to enhance educational quality.
- Personnel & Enrollment Management: Directed student recruitment and led hiring, onboarding, and mentoring of professional educators to build a strong teaching team.
- Community Relations & Outreach: Coordinated community outreach programs and educational field trips to promote experiential learning and strengthen stakeholder engagement.
Program Director
Astoria Children's Museum
Astoria
01.1997 - 01.2001
- Experiential Program Delivery: Designed and delivered on-site and offsite educational workshops, hands-on science experiments, and outdoor field trips—including coastal and hiking excursions—for diverse student groups, enhancing their engagement and learning experiences.
- Operational Administration & Development: Spearheaded vital program operations, including full bookkeeping management, budget tracking, community fundraising initiatives, and strategic educational
- Curriculum Design: Created hands-on activities, experiments, farm visits, and outdoor field trips, fostering experiential learning and community involvement.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Food Science And Technology
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 09.2007 - 09.2010
Associate of Arts - Elementary Education
Clatsup Community College
Astoria, Oregon 09.2000 - 09.2003
Skills
- Soil management
- Vineyard operations
- Harvest logistics
- Field instruction
- Curriculum development
- Workshop facilitation
- Experiential learning
- Program coordination
- Grant administration
- Team leadership
- Instructional planning
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
- Project learning
Personal Information
Title: Agricultural Educator / Service-Learning Project Leader
Volunteer
- Osu Organic Grower’s Club
- Astor Elementary School Library
- Start Making a Reader Today -Smart Program Reader
- Court Appointed Special Advocate CASA
- Upward Bound
- Special Olympics
- Albany Civic Theatre, Majestic Theatre
- Chintimini Chamber Music Festival
Skills
- Soil management
- Vineyard operations
- Harvest logistics
- Field instruction
- Curriculum development
- Workshop facilitation
- Experiential learning
- Forklift certified
- Experienced with tractors & farm equipment
Timeline
Harvest Operations Consultant
Tyee Wine Cellars
01.2024 - 12.2025
Agricultural Educator
Independent Agricultural Education Consultant
06.2010 - Current
Harvest Enologist
Lemelson Vineyard
01.2010 - 12.2010
Harvest Viticulturist
Rex Hill / A-to-Z Wineworks
01.2009 - 09.2009
Enologist & Viticulturist/ Operations Manager
Emerson Vineyards
01.2008 - 12.2023
Bachelor of Science - Food Science And Technology
Oregon State University
09.2007 - 09.2010
Grant Administrator
Columbia River Estuary Study Task Force
01.2001 - 12.2003
Associate of Arts - Elementary Education
Clatsup Community College
09.2000 - 09.2003
Founder / Director
Northwest Oregon Friendship School
01.1998 - 01.2003
Program Director
Astoria Children's Museum
01.1997 - 01.2001