A new Cornell-led training program aims to provide New York food educators and producers with the skills and equipment they need to boost compliance with modern food safety standards and foster the development of innovative food products. 

Cornell Food Connections is a collaboration of Cornell AgriTech, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM), Taste NY and SUNY. The program provides hands-on instruction in food safety, food processing methods and packaging, regulations, operational production records and labeling, as well as other areas critical to the development and commercialization of new food and beverages.

Led by instructors Bruno Xavier, associate director of the Cornell Food Venture Center (CFVC), and Cynthia James, an extension support specialist with the CFVC and Cornell’s Institute for Food Safety, the series kicked off in May with a two-day workshop in Ballston Spa, New York, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, followed by an October workshop held in partnership with Stony Brook University in Southampton, New York. 

“Now that I have been exposed to the world of food safety, when I speak with food and ag startups I can go beyond just learning about their product and connecting them with a resource that might be more helpful,” said Eric Fasser, solutions program manager at FuzeHub, a state-funded organization focused on growing manufacturing and technology companies in New York, who took the Saratoga County workshop to boost his knowledge of the food industry.

Cornell Food Connections provides essential information for keeping up with the increased number of food entrepreneurs and new products being developed across New York state, said Victoria Giarratano, assistant director of agriculture, food systems, and community development at CCE and one of the program’s organizers.

“Cornell Cooperative Extension educators are the boots on the ground – helping entrepreneurs navigate the licensing, regulatory and business development steps needed to bring their food products to market,” Giarratano said. “Through programs like Cornell Food Connections, we’re building a network of knowledgeable educators who can guide small producers from concept to commercialization – bringing more New York state products to New York state shelves and beyond.”

Fasser, too, has seen an uptick in food and agriculture entrepreneurship since he joined FuzeHub in 2019. Of the more than 200 early-stage companies he works with at FuzeHub each year, around 10% to 15% are in the food, beverage or agriculture sector. That jumped to 19% in 2025.

“I feel more qualified to understand their specific challenges, help them prioritize their next steps, then put them in touch with specific resources that can provide targeted support,” Fasser said.

In 2023, the CFVC at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva worked with more than 700 clients and helped bring more than 2,100 food products to market. Building a statewide network of educators working directly with small food producers will increase the CFVC’s efficiency and allow for more new food and beverage products.

“The hands-on part of the workshop gave me the confidence that if I had a product to develop, then I’d know what’s involved and I know the people who can provide the guidance I’d need,” said Craig Rothman, manager of the Taste NY Adirondacks Welcome Center in Queensbury, New York and a dietician, former restaurateur and adjunct faculty member of nutrition at SUNY Adirondack. Rothman, who completed the Cornell Food Connections workshop in May, said the program equipped him with the food production knowledge valuable when working with the more than 75 New York food producers whose products are stocked at the Adirondack Welcome Center. 

“I feel there is a wealth of knowledge and expertise out there for people in need,” Rothman said. 

The third and final workshop of the year is scheduled for Oct. 27 and 28 at Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County in Canton, New York. Three additional workshops are planned for 2026.

“A program like this is key to improving our statewide food safety culture, as well as providing an economic boost for small food processors,” said Jessica Woodward, marketing and promotion team lead at AGM. “This community will be a valuable resource for up-and-coming food producers working to bring new products to market.”