Testimonials
Dairy Food Processing
"I commend CCE's effort to aid and assist the rapidly growing dairy products production in our area. The continued rapid growth in our business, along with continued growth of established dairy businesses, and the opening of new yogurt operations has severely drained the pool of prospective, qualified plant workers. Without CCE's efforts, in conjunction with Genesee Community College, we would have little hope of filling the void. The jobs created by growth in this area require specialized training which previously was not available locally. Through the efforts of the Harvest New York staff, we have begun building a skilled pool of prospective employees from which many local companies can draw, fueling continued growth. The HNY Dairy Processing Specialist also helped us connect with the right resources to solve some of the more difficult problems involved in making our cheeses."
-- Brian Bailey, Vice President of Operations, Yancey's Fancy, Inc., Corfu, NY
Local Foods Distribution
"Quite frankly, we wouldn't be where we are today without the help of the Harvest New York Local Foods Distribution Specialist. She was invaluable in helping us to identify funding sources and write grant proposals, resulting in a $175,000 award to conduct a feasibility study and full business plan for a food hub in Western New York. Food hubs are designed to serve a community's greatest needs and can take many forms. This is a planning project that will be based on deep analysis of what growers and buyers need. We would not have gotten the amount of funding we did in such a short time without the help of the HNY specialist, who is a fantastic partner and gave us the "oomph" to get things moving. We have long needed a resource and sounding board like this in our area. Also, the regional nature of the position provides growers in the area with a broader perspective on supply and demand."
-- Lisa Tucker, Executive Director, Field and Fork Network, Williamsville, NY
Farm Strategic Management
"Nice work [on farmstead planning information provided to a Dairy Farm Advisory Committee in the Southern Tier]. Glad you're on the [farm advisory] team. I think your work has prevented us from making a big mistake on facility placement."
--Bruce Dehm, Dehm Associates, LLC, Geneseo, NY
"I commend CCE's effort to aid and assist the rapidly growing dairy products production in our area. The continued rapid growth in our business, along with continued growth of established dairy businesses, and the opening of new yogurt operations has severely drained the pool of prospective, qualified plant workers. Without CCE's efforts, in conjunction with Genesee Community College, we would have little hope of filling the void. The jobs created by growth in this area require specialized training which previously was not available locally. Through the efforts of the Harvest New York staff, we have begun building a skilled pool of prospective employees from which many local companies can draw, fueling continued growth. The HNY Dairy Processing Specialist also helped us connect with the right resources to solve some of the more difficult problems involved in making our cheeses."
-- Brian Bailey, Vice President of Operations, Yancey's Fancy, Inc., Corfu, NY
Local Foods Distribution
"Quite frankly, we wouldn't be where we are today without the help of the Harvest New York Local Foods Distribution Specialist. She was invaluable in helping us to identify funding sources and write grant proposals, resulting in a $175,000 award to conduct a feasibility study and full business plan for a food hub in Western New York. Food hubs are designed to serve a community's greatest needs and can take many forms. This is a planning project that will be based on deep analysis of what growers and buyers need. We would not have gotten the amount of funding we did in such a short time without the help of the HNY specialist, who is a fantastic partner and gave us the "oomph" to get things moving. We have long needed a resource and sounding board like this in our area. Also, the regional nature of the position provides growers in the area with a broader perspective on supply and demand."
-- Lisa Tucker, Executive Director, Field and Fork Network, Williamsville, NY
Farm Strategic Management
"Nice work [on farmstead planning information provided to a Dairy Farm Advisory Committee in the Southern Tier]. Glad you're on the [farm advisory] team. I think your work has prevented us from making a big mistake on facility placement."
--Bruce Dehm, Dehm Associates, LLC, Geneseo, NY
Upcoming Events
Urban Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program (Urban CAMP): Session 3
March 12, 2025
3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Brooklyn, NY
The 2025 Urban Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program (Urban CAMP) is designed to empower NYC farmers and agricultural advisors in their journey to gain and share knowledge and tools needed to be resilient in the face of climate uncertainty. This program is a partnership between Cornell University, the Harvest NY Program in Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the USDA Northeast Climate Hub. The Urban CAMP curriculum draws heavily from the Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Fellowship (CAMF), created in response to farmers' need for information and technical assistance related to climate change.The 2025 Urban Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program (Urban CAMP) will consist of a series of in-person workshops, trainings, online webinars, and in-person field days, tailored for the specific needs of farmers in and around New York City. The program begins February 26, 2026 and will run through September 2026. Five in-person training sessions will be held once a week on Wednesdays in February and March (Feb. 26th, March 5th, March 12th, March 19th, and March 26th). There will be a total of three in-person farm tours during the growing season (dates TBD). Urban CAMP participants will then work to develop an adaptation or mitigation plan for their urban farm, or a farm they work with. Participants who attend all in-person events and complete a farm plan will receive a certificate of completion and a $150 stipend.