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

Whole Farm Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (CAMP) Series

January 27 - February 17, 2026
Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Please join Ulster County CCE and CCE Harvest New York for a free four-part webinar and workshop series focused on building climate resilience on your farm. We will cover climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, learn how to access locally relevant historical climate data, and begin a climate adaptation plan or disaster preparedness plan for your farm.

By the end of the series, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to identify vulnerabilities in their operations, determine which strategies best address the issue, and secure funding to support project implementation. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) 2026

February 4, 2026
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
New York, NY

Join us for the 6th annual TUFFS! Every winter since 2021, the NYC urban farm community comes together for an afternoon of conversations and show-and-tell, an opportunity to see what other urban farmers have been working on, to ask questions, and to share what went well for you this year (and what didn't). It's also the biggest NYC CRAFT event of the year, a veritable who's-who of the city's urban farm scene, and a great place to connect with the only other people who really understand what it's like to farm in New York City.

This year's TUFFS is at Pace University, including a tour of the campus' farm project. 

Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)

February 22, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flushing, NY

Join us at Ridgewood Community Garden for a free, hands-on workshop with CCE Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman. Participants will learn about basic tree maintenance and pruning techniques. Proper winter care helps trees conserve energy, prevent damage from cold weather, and prepare for growth in the spring. 

NOTE: This event was postponed from January 25 to February 22 due to the weather.

2025 Year in Review

2025 was another year of growth and accomplishment for CCE Harvest NY! Our 2025 Year in Review highlights our impacts and details our work.