Cornell Food Connections - New York City

Are you an aspiring or early-stage food and beverage entrepreneur looking to grow your business and bring new products to market? Cornell Food Connections, a partnership among Cornell AgriTech, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Taste NY and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is a series of workshops that will equip food producers with the expertise they need to develop products for retail and institutional sale. 

Food scientists Bruno Xavier, Ph.D ‘08, Associate Director of the Cornell Food Venture Center, and Cynthia James, M.S., Extension Support Specialist with the Institute for Food Safety @ Cornell University and Cornell Food Venture Center, will lead the workshops. 

This program is designed to train food entrepreneurs and producers, as well as current food educators, such as Cornell Cooperative Extension staff and other food development partners. Please note that registrants must live and/or be growing or producing in New York state to be eligible to participate in the workshop. 

This two-day, in-person workshop is hosted by Mangrove at Flatbush Central (Mangrove FC), located at 2123 Caton Ave., Brooklyn, NY. 

Registration for this two-day workshop is now open! The $200 program fee includes supplies and meals for both days of the workshop. Accepted applicants will be required to complete the virtual Cornell Food Venture Center’s Food Safety and FSMA Regulations for Small Food Processors course before the start of the workshop. Registration for this course, a $150 value, is included at no additional charge. After registration and confirmed payment, workshop attendees will be automatically registered for the food processors course - no additional payment is required. 

Cornell Food Connection 2026 Workshop Dates:

June 3 - Erie County

June 8 - Monroe County/Rochester

Aug. 3 - Broome County/Binghamton

Sept. 8-9 - New York City (Two-day workshop)

Oct. 14 - Onondaga County/Syracuse

Oct. 21 - Rensselaer County/Troy

Nov. 2 - Jefferson County/Watertown