Mohawk Valley Resources for Local Farmers

The Plaid Farm Store, image by The Plaid Farm Store

Local Resources for Small Farms, Homesteaders, and Farm Stores

No matter your skill level, whether you are interested in gardening, starting to raise crops and small livestock, operate a homestead or you’re an experience farmer, there are resources right here in the Mohawk Valley to help you learn, grow, and improve your results!

Easy-to-access resources that can help you on your farming journey!

Cornell Small Farms Online Courses

The Cornell Small Farms Program supports farmers at all phases of small farm business development. The program is housed at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University, and works collaboratively with a network of faculty and staff, Cornell Cooperative Extension educators, and other small farm advocates throughout New York. The Small Farms Program offers a wide variety of resources to help get you started in your farming area of interest.

One of the easiest ways to access what they have to offer is through their online courses. These courses cover a wide variety of topics from starting a small farm business, raising chickens, making maple syrup, beekeeping, growing mushrooms, and so much more!

SUNY Cobleskill

The Institute for Rural Vitality offers specific programs to assist farmers be successful at every stage of their farming experience.

The Mohawk Valley Rural Business Incubator (MV-RBI) creates opportunities for entrepreneurs through education, mentoring, processing and networking. The MV-RBI focus is to launch and grow new businesses in the Mohawk Valley, offering services to clients at no cost. MV-RBI services include:

Business planning
Market planning
Financial planning
Access to capital
Scaling up
Planning for wholesale
Food safety & quality control
Online marketing & social media
Branding, advertising & packaging
Land access
Legal support
Other services, as necessary

Institute for Rural Vitality Mohawk Valley Entrepreneur Assistance Center

For growers and producers who would like to successfully bring their produce, meats, dairy and other products to market connecting with the Mohawk Valley Entrepreuneur Assistance Center at SUNY Cobleskill will help ensure your success.

The Mohawk Valley Entrepreneurship Assistance Center (EAC) offers an array of business development services, regardless of industry. These services include a FREE 10-week Business Development Bootcamp course in the fall and spring as well as one-on-one counseling and support to meet each entrepreneur’s specific needs and help them grow their businesses.

These services include, but are not limited to, assistance with:

business planning
marketing strategy and research
brand development
creating a website and/or social media accounts
accounting and recordkeeping
business registration and certifications
how to take advantage of procurement opportunities
how to find funding
connections with experts and mentors

CADE Farms

The Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship (CADE)

Growing NY Farms and Food Businesses (CADE) mission is to increase the number and diversity of viable farm enterprises and related businesses across the supply chain in New York.

CADE Farms offers resources to help the local farmer grow and improve their success. They offer help, assistance and resources on subjects such as Access to Farm Land, Business Development, Access to Capital, Marketing, Regenerative Practices, and Connecting to peers and mentors.

CADE meets its clients where they are by offering tiered levels of engagement and personalized support. You can connect with CADE through monthly newsletters, learn from their ever-growing resource library and recorded educational programming, or seek individualized support through 1-on-1 client services.

Most programs and training are offered occur during the winter months. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter to be the first to know when program offerings are scheduled!