Winter is an excellent time to learn new marketing and business skills to streamline your food or farm operation in the coming year. Taking the time now to prioritize goals could lead you to succeed in your marketing aspirations. But what to learn and where to look in a time where there is so much online? At Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, we are putting on the Ag & Food Producers Academy that starts this month on January 15th! It’s available for existing and planning stages entrepreneurs in the 6-county northern New York region. There are 4 course tracks to choose from, and all online sessions meet on weekday evenings.
Reasons to Participate
- Hear from industry professionals. All the instructors for these courses work day in and day out with farmers and entrepreneurs. For example, Nicole Tommell is a Farm Management Specialist with 15+ years of experience advising producers on business planning and financing. You can hear her lead participants in the Prepare to Succeed: Business and Financing Options Course.
- Nicole Ouellette, Jeremy Bloom, Flip Filippi, Nicole Tomell and Lauren Olson
- Network with peers. While there are many rewards of producing food, it can be demanding and isolating, especially in a rural region. This Academy is built to be interactive, including the opportunity to connect with other growers and business owners in various stages of
development. Collaboration is an important part of growing a successful business. You’ll get the chance to work alongside each other and gain insights into different food and farm operations. - Demystify regulations for producing food products in NYS. There can be a lot to consider when planning and operating a food business. Get a lay of the land with the opportunity to get your own questions answered by Flip Filippi, the manager of the Harvest Kitchen at the Extension Learning Farm. This course is for people in their planning stages or the first few years of operating a food business. It will include resources and information about licensing, brand development, calculating costs, recordkeeping, production, food safety, distribution, and more.
Flip Filippi in the Harvest Kitchen - Compare E-commerce platforms. Instructor Jeremy Bloom, of The Internet Farmer, dedicates his time to honing in on the needs of producers so they can find the best online platform for their products and sales channels. Participants will get virtual tours of multiple platforms and learn how to prioritize their online sales needs to select the appropriate platform.
- Tailored consultations for your business. Three of the four class tracks include 1-1 meetings with course instructors to address your particular goals and challenges. These sessions are held at the close of each class so you have the chance to use your new skills from the academy. Spring into the new growing season with an action plan to keep the momentum from your winter planning alive.
The opening session for the entire Academy is online Saturday, January 15th 10:-11:30 am. Spots are limited for this new opportunity, learn more and reserve your spot here: http://stlawrence.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture-natural-resources/ag-and-food-producers-academy
Lauren grew up in neighboring Vermont exploring and loving the green mountains and vast landscapes. Her undergraduate degree made her appreciate the communities that surround local foods and a Master’s Certificate in Food Studies from the University of Southern Maine made her want to pursue a career in the food system. In 2021 and 2022, she was the Local Foods Marketing and Development Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.