Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship (CADE)

Established in 1991, CADE’s mission is to increase the number and diversity of successful farm enterprises and related businesses in New York. We envision a vibrant food system, in which locally owned agricultural businesses thrive and consumers are nourished by healthy sustainably produced food. For nearly 30 years, CADE has helped more than 2,000 agricultural businesses and organizations transition ideas from concepts to commercially viable activities. Through our Farm and Food Business Incubator run in partnership with SUNY Cobleskill’s Institute for Rural Vitality, CADE identifies the technological and commercialization needs of regional producers, conducts outreach and education activities, organizes interested businesses into cooperative groups, and secures financial support to move projects into production. 

CADE assists farmland owners (including senior farmers or non-farming landowners) and land seekers in our coverage area with creating profiles on the Farmland for a New Generation New York website;  provides technical advice and referrals to attorneys, lenders, business consultants, tax assessors, or other professional service providers on topics such as land leasing options and succession planning; facilitates direct match-making between farmland owners and farmland seekers; and provides one-on-one technical assistance to interested new farmers on business planning, marketing, farm financing, legal structuring, and other areas to support the development and operation of a new farm enterprise.