ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship (CADE) and SUNY Cobleskill’s Institute for Rural Vitality announce the launch of their newest collaboration, the Farm and Food Business Accelerator. Building on the existing work of the Mohawk Valley Farm & Food Business Incubator, this new program has been made possible through a USDA Agriculture Innovation Center grant. This is one of just three centers funded in 2020 by the USDA Agriculture Innovation Center program across the United States.
The FFBA is designed to deliver comprehensive business development services and support to a cohort of 10 established, promising agribusiness entrepreneurs ready to grow, expand, or transition into value-added production in the Mohawk Valley. The goal is to accelerate their success, enhancing their capacity to impact the region’s agricultural economy and New York’s food system.
Entrepreneurs who are a fit for this opportunity are those in need of assistance bringing a new food or beverage product from idea or concept into commercial-scale production, OR entrepreneurs ready to expand by bringing their existing value-added products to scale with enhanced production or processing systems.
As small businesses adapt to an ever changing economy, this accelerator program comes at a great time to launch small businesses into the next phase with strategic planning, economies of scale and collaboration, and mentorship.
“The Agriculture Innovation Center is all about moving our region’s farm and food industries forward and building networks that allow growers and producers to interact with one another, learn from one another, and ultimately encourage progress and expansion within each entrepreneur’s particular area of agriculture,” said Dr. Scott Ferguson, executive director of the Institute for Rural Vitality at SUNY Cobleskill. “We appreciate the USDA’s recognition and support for the vital services our two organizations can provide to the region’s agricultural community.”
“We are particularly excited to offer our support services to more established businesses – including from our Food Science faculty, use of our on-campus commercial kitchen and creamery facilities for launching new products, our local food retail outlet for piloting new products, and more,” Ferguson continued. Together, SUNY Cobleskill and CADE, will connect the dots across the supply chain, providing direct support from production to distribution, expanding businesses and providing economic growth to not just these farm and food businesses, but the community.
“Our farmers and food producers are society’s bedrock, and an investment in support structures like the Agriculture Innovation Center is an investment in the health of our communities on a larger scale. This program, with the support of the USDA, allows us to respond to the challenges the industry is facing today and offer the most relevant resources to ensure a healthy, and sustainable, future for our region,” said Phoebe Schreiner, executive director of CADE.
“By the time this cohort ‘graduates’ from the Accelerator program, we will have helped them expand to new markets, get a branding facelift, launch new products, move into value-added production, obtain grants or loans or investment, identify new distribution channels, and other services to help their businesses grow. We are so proud to partner with SUNY Cobleskill on this program so we can invest these precious resources strategically in central New York – expanding our agribusinesses, growing our agricultural economy, and strengthening the local food system”, said Schreiner.
Our FFBA cohort should expect to receive a complete suite of services and resources tailored to their specific needs from SUNY Cobleskill and CADE such as: support on new product development from a food science expert, completion of a scheduled process from the Cornell Food Venture Center, technical support on marketing strategy, legal and financial advisory services, and outreach assistance to connect and maintain positive relationships with distributors, retailers and wholesalers, institutions and restaurants, inside and outside the Mohawk Valley.
Applications to apply to the FFBA program are open until September 27. Accepted applicants will begin a 19-month intensive with full service support thru June 2023. Entrepreneurs interested in applying should visit CADE’s website or contact Rhiannon Wright at rhiannon@cadefarms.org
–Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship
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