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Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture

Go here for resources on COVID-19 for Food, Beverage, and Agriculture Businesses.

A dynamic hub for innovation and collaboration, the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech leverages the unparalleled research and expertise of Cornell University to accelerate growth and position New York State as a global leader in food and agricultural advancement by:

  • Pushing entrepreneurs and startups to launch their businesses in New York and commercialize products and services
  • Pulling companies into the state by connecting them with innovation resources and economic development partners
  • Growing existing food, beverage and agriculture-related companies from across New York State through business mentoring, technical assistance, research, business-to-business partnerships, supply chains and the myriad resources they need to succeed and thrive

Meet Cathy Young, our director

The director of the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech, shares her ambitious vision for the center and believes the climate is ripe for food and agriculture entrepreneurs in New York state. The center accelerates business development by connecting startups and existing businesses with the institutional resources and expertise at Cornell to cultivate innovation, economic growth and robust job creation in New York’s food and farming sector.

Two people show a new product, cured sumac.
Two women and a man looking at plants in a warehouse.
Overhead view of the AgriTech Pilot Plant
Stony Brook food packaging
Person analyzing specimen under blacklight.
Person pouring beer from a tap.
Play Cornell Craft Beverage Institute
Play Industrial hemp research at Cornell University

The Center of Excellence works with a number of growing New York state companies such as Assured Edge Solutions (shown in photo).

With its state of the art technologies, the Cornell Food Venture Center Pilot Plant is a valuable asset to the food entrepreneurs working with the Center of Excellence.

Stony Brook Pepitas

Wang Zhen, a visiting scientist in the lab of Alan Taylor, professor of horticulture, uses fluorescent tracer compounds to better understand seed coat permeability.

Beer from a tap at the Cornell Craft Beverage Analytical Lab.

The Cornell Craft Beverage Institute plays a central role in the craft beverage industry's development by providing resources, education and services.

Hemp is a promising revitalizing crop. The Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture is supporting Cornell University as one of the nation's leaders in purpose-driven industrial hemp research.

Success stories

Learn how the Center of Excellence has supported and empowered businesses to grow and thrive: 

Samples of tonics in small cups with bottles behind

75+

Companies Engaged

The Center of Excellence made great strides in 2019 in supporting startups and companies to launch and grow their businesses. A total of 75 companies were assisted.

$25

Million

Raised by companies working with the Center of Excellence in 2019.

97

Jobs

The Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture led to the creation of 97 New York state jobs in 2019.

Our Experts

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Molly Israel

Marketing Strategist

School of Integrative Plant Science

Molly Israel
  • mmi24 [at] cornell.edu
A woman stands in a hallway
Catharine Young

Director, Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture

Cornell AgriTech

Food Science

Catharine Young
A man smiles in a light filled hallway
Ed Maguire

Business Development Specialist, Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture

Cornell AgriTech

Ed Maguire
  • ejm328 [at] cornell.edu
A woman stands facing right in a light filled hallway.
Carrie Carmenatty

Marketing and Development Specialist; NYS Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture

Cornell AgriTech

Food Science

Carrie Carmenatty
A woman stands in a light filled hallway.
Kailey Maloy

Administrative Assistant III

Cornell AgriTech

Kailey Maloy
A headshot of a smiling man in front of green trees
Bruno Xavier

Senior Extension Associate

Cornell AgriTech

Food Science

Bruno Xavier

News & events

Older man and woman speak to each other in a storage room

News

Cornell AgriTech center helps business adapt to COVID-19
Our Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture (COE) has been helping food and ag businesses adapt to the COVID-19 economy with new marketing strategies and by diversifying products. “Whether we are helping startups with their business plans or looking at ways that we can assist farmers during the upcoming growing season,” said Cathy Young, executive director of the COE. "We want members of the food and ag community to know that we are here for them.”
  • Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Agriculture

CALS Magazine

News

Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture helps startups take off

“While formula had everything she needed to thrive and grow, it didn’t have everything we wanted for her,” said Ippolito, a lecturer in the Engineering Management Program at Cornell. In summer 2019, she launched SimpliFed, a startup company...

  • Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Agriculture
A man wearing a lab coat and blue gloves looks at red, orange and yellow-hued liquids in glass beakers

News

Cornell creates detailed COVID-19 website for food industry
Coherent safety information for food processing plants in New York and other states can be difficult to find, said Sam Alcaine, assistant professor of food science, who led the writing of the descriptive text for the new website. Food processors...
  • Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture
  • Food Safety Laboratory and Milk Quality Improvement Program
  • Microbiology

The Application Period for Round 2 of the Grow-NY Competition is Open

A woman speaks to a crowd in front of a Grow-NY sign.

Resources and partners

The Center of Excellence maintains partnerships with a wealth of programs and resources primed to support food and agriculture companies grow and thrive. Contact our team to get connected to valuable resources like these:

  • Incubators and accelerators
  • Training and education partners
  • Testing and validation services
  • Trade association support
  • Business-to-business (B2B) relationships
  • Supply chain assets [feedstock and packaging suppliers, processors and manufacturers, production facilities, co-packers, warehousing, distribution, retail and marketplace]
  • State, federal and local economic development incentive programs
  • Capital resources
  • Marketing resources