Now accepting applications!
Do you own an established farm or food related business? Have you considered developing a value-added agricultural product to expand and improve the viability of your business? The Institute for Rural Vitality is proud to have recieved one of three inaugural awards to establish a USDA Agriculture Innovation Center (AIC). As a result of this award, the Institute for Rural Vitality (IRV) and the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) developed a program to deliver comprehensive business development services and support to a cohort of established and promising agribusiness entrepreneurs ready to grow, expand, or transition into value-added production. Our goal is to accelerate their success, enhancing their capacity to impact the region’s agricultural economy and New York’s food system.
FFBA Benefits
Farm and Food Business Accelerator (FFBA) program cohort members will receive a complete suite of services and resources tailored to their specific needs from SUNY Cobleskill and CADE in the form of:
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Access to shared product development spaces at SUNY Cobleskill to test and pilot novel value-added food and beverage products and/or referrals to other processing facilities as may be needed depending on scale/production readiness, location, etc.
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Product development support from food science experts, concept testing, feasibility and cost analysis, taste-testing, consumer analysis, production analysis, and evaluation of packaging and labeling
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Assessment of optimal processing facilities to optimize cost efficiency and other technical assistance to improve processes and systems to produce and market value-added products
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Business development support including assistance on business planning, marketing strategy, market research
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Legal advisory services on business structuring, contracts, insurance, etc.
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Development or upgrade of branding assets (website, logos, social media accounts, labels, etc.)
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Outreach assistance connecting and maintaining positive relationships with distributors, retailers and wholesalers, institutions and restaurants, inside and outside the Mohawk Valley
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Completion of scheduled processes by a Process Authority
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Financial advisory services for the development or expansion of value-added products, as well as matchmaking with private investors, grant funders, or lenders to increase access to capital.
FFBA Eligibility
The FFBA is designed for agricultural producers who are currently producing an agricultural product and are interested in developing a value-added product. FFBA members must produce at least 50% of the inputs used in their value-added product.
Geographic Area
Producers participating in the FFBA must have an impact on the Mohawk Valley. Having an impact may include being physically located in the Mohawk Valley, sourcing goods or services from producers in the Mohawk Valley, selling products in the Mohawk Valley, or any other demonstrated economic impact.
The Mohawk Valley includes Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, and Schoharie Counties.
Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
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At least 3 years in operation
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Produce agricultural product
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Are undergoing a transition or new business venture, such as expansion, launching a new product line, expansion to new markets, adoption of a new business model, etc.
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Meet the geographic preferences noted above
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Have a commitment to sustainable practices, innovation, local sourcing, diversity/equity/inclusion, transparency, and/or collaboration
To Apply
To apply, complete the application linked below before Oct. 14, 2021.
For more information, contact Melissa Struckle at strucklema@cobleskill.edu.