ALBANY — NY FarmNet, a program of Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is proud to welcome Matt Wells to their team as a part time financial consultant. Matt also serves as the vice president of operations and food safety for New York Apple Sales and Yes! Apples. From 2015 to 2017 he led the Lake Ontario Fruit Team at Cornell Cooperative Extension in western New York. Matt brings a wealth of experience to the farm clients he is now available to serve, free of charge, as a NY FarmNet consultant. NY FarmNet financial consultants assist clients with business and succession planning, financial analysis, record keeping, loan applications, life after farming, and connecting to additional resources.
NY FarmNet also offers family consulting services to farm clients free of charge. Family consultants work with farmers to improve family and marital relations, develop strategies for better communication, manage stress and anxiety, facilitate difficult discussions, and run family business meetings in a way that all members have a voice. Family consultants have a master’s level degree in counseling or social work, and understand the farming lifestyle. NY FarmNet consultants will meet with clients at the farm, or in the comfort of their own home, making it a little easier to fit the appointment into already stretched schedules.
“Matt is a great addition to the NY FarmNet team because of his extensive background with tree fruit and his desire to give back to the agricultural community. We are excited to provide a diverse set of consulting services to the farmers of New York,” said Amelia Parseghian, Program Coordinator for NY FarmNet.
NY FarmNet helps farmers, farm families, and agricultural professionals navigate times of crisis, growth, and opportunity. Farm clients are assigned both a family and a financial consultant to help address the many issues they may face. All services are free of charge and completely confidential. For more information or to request assistance, call 1-800-547-3276 or visit www.nyarmnet.org and click the red “Contact” button.
NY FarmNet was founded by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University in response to the national farm crisis in the 1980s. NY FarmNet still operates at Cornell as part of the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management. The Dyson School is part of both Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the SC Johnson College of Business. NY FarmNet is funded by the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, NYS Office of Mental Health, the private sector, and individual donations. If you are interested in making a donation to NY FarmNet, visit www.nyfarmnet.org and click the banner across the top. Contact Amelia Parseghian, Program Coordinator, ako9@cornell.edu with any questions or for more information.
–NY FarmNet
