Food entrepreneurs from across the region can tap into Cornell University's expertise to help grow their businesses through the newly established New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture (CoE) satellite office in Saratoga County.
The office, located within the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Saratoga County in Ballston Spa, is staffed by food science and business development experts, providing producers and entrepreneurs with greater access to Cornell University resources and further supporting the CoE’s mission to grow the food, beverage and agriculture industries across New York state.
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner secured $500,000 in state funding to launch and sustain the office while serving as chair of the Committee on Small Business. She is also a member of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources and Committee on Agriculture, among others.
“The NYS Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture, located at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York, has long been a valued resource for food and agriculture industries. However, for entrepreneurs and food producers in the eastern part of the state, accessing it has been quite challenging. I’m pleased to have secured funding for a Center of Excellence satellite office in Saratoga County. Now, food producers and entrepreneurs in eastern New York can easily access the expertise and services Cornell University’s AgriTech campus is known for. I look forward to seeing the food, beverage and agricultural small businesses nurtured by this new Center grow into successful enterprises in our area,” said Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake).
“Many people dream of bringing their products to market, but don’t know where to turn for assistance. Thousands of startups and established food and beverage companies have grown their operations by working with the CoE. We provide business mentoring and connections to Cornell research, innovation, technology and services; business-to-business partnerships, such as co-manufacturers; government economic development incentives; sources of capital; and supply chain assets. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner’s leadership and vision of bringing Cornell excellence to the region gives people easier access to a full array of services that can help them succeed,” said CoE Executive Director Cathy Young.
The CoE satellite includes laboratory space, allowing food and beverage producers to bring their products to the office for basic food safety testing and product development guidance. The lab, led by Extension Support Specialist Emile Punzalan, Ph.D., expands the reach of the Cornell Food Venture Center to provide scheduled processes, product safety evaluations, onsite training, and other services critical to bringing new foods to market.
Business Development Specialist Joseph Ganley, whose career in food and agriculture includes over a decade of working with small food producers at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is based out of the Saratoga County office and provides business mentorship and other guidance to entrepreneurs and companies, free of charge.
“The new satellite location offers easy access to expertise in food product and process development, as well as regulatory compliance, ensuring that new foods meet all technical and marketing requirements to enhance successful ventures," said Dr. Olga Padilla-Zakour, the Seneca Foods Foundation Professor and Director of the Food Venture Center at Cornell AgriTech. "This innovative approach allows regional producers to quickly assess which initiatives are better suited for further development, with appropriate resources.”
"CCE Saratoga is excited to bring the Center for Excellence for Food and Agriculture to Saratoga County and the Capital Region," said CCE Saratoga Assistant Director Greg Stevens. "By partnering to provide food product development services to our local farmers and food entrepreneurs, this is just another example of how CCE brings the research-based knowledge of Cornell University to the people we serve."
The office is open for regular business hours, Monday to Friday. To learn more about working with the CoE, email coe-foodag [at] cornell.edu (coe-foodag[at]cornell[dot]edu).
