Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County

The CCE Orange County Wholesale Producer Readiness Program made significant headway in helping Hudson Valley producers prepare for the food safety requirements that come with increased scale of production and produce sales. A key requirement of the FSMA legislation is a one-day food safety training certificate for produce farms. The only currently accepted curriculum for this training certficate has been created by the Produce Safety Alliance, and staff working on the Wholesale Readiness Program is already certified as an instructor of this material. 

The CCE Orange County program provides one-on-one technical assistances and classes for new farmers and landowners who are seeking to add commercial agriculture ventures to their property. The program emphasis on technical assistance for diversified and sustainable crop production in the lower Hudson Valley and beyond, especially providing broad-based support for farmers within our neighboring counties. We plan, conduct and offer in-person classroom trainings and also participate in professional development on this and similar topics (GAPs, FSMA, OFRR, etc.) for farmers and landowners. CCE Orange County also participate in peer learning opportunities with other Regional Navigators, American Farmland Trust, Glynwood, NOFA-NY among others on land protection, rent or lease agreement, taxes etc. through networking events.

Regions Served

Hudson Valley, Dutchess County, Ulster County, Sullivan County, Orange County, Putnam County, Westchester County, Rockland County, Southern Tier, Broome County

Ag Updates

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Register Now for Cornell Small Farms Online Courses!

Are you thinking about starting a small farm? Do you already have a farm that you're looking to expand? Invest in your professional development and you'll see the returns in your business. The Cornell Small Farms Program offers a suite of more than 30 online courses, primarily taught by Cornell Cooperative Extension educators, to help farmers improve their technical and business skills. 

2023-2024 Online Course List Learn More

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Looking for an on farm job or have a farm job you are hiring for?

Are you looking for a farm job? Are you a farm looking to hire help? Check out the 'Find a Farm Job' page on the New York Farmland Finder website! 

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Applications Open for GrowNYC Farm Beginnings Course!

Farm Beginnings is a foundations course developed for experienced farmers, gardeners, and farm workers who want to build their own farm businesses focused on food, herbs, or flowers in the Northeast. The course is focused on providing business training for land-based farm operations and is primarily focused on serving BIPOC, immigrants, and historically underrepresented communities in farm business ownership. Applications close on Sunday, October 29th! 

Learn More & Apply  Course Eligibility