Ag Development Program
Supporting Agriculture in our Community

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Cornell AgriTech’s Gates Organic Farm

Cornell AgriTech’s Gates Organic Farm, a 20-acre certified organic research parcel dedicated to advancing organic farming industries in New York state, benefited from grants totaling $700,000 from the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority (GVRMA) to construct critical site infrastructure and purchase equipment. The grant, awarded in 2020, addressed key needs, including constructing a 40x80 storage barn, improving farm access roadways, installing perimeter fencing, enhancing drainage, and removing trees. Additionally, weed control measures were added, such as flame weeder equipment and a lean-to structure for storage. As the farm enters its fourth growing year, all infrastructure improvements are in place, supporting best practices in organic agriculture research.

GVRMA has helped Cornell AgriTech make an impact on the New York State food industry through its funding of two critical areas in its science building. The Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture (CoE), which helps grow New York’s agrifood sector, was given a home on the second floor of the building thanks to a $400,000 GVRMA grant that leveraged $150,000 from the Emerson Foundation and $100,000 from Cornell.  By mid-2023, the CoE had helped companies create and retain 924 jobs, increase revenues by $32 million, secure more than $63 million in non-government funds, and save over $7.8 million. Non-job economic impacts have totaled more than $135 million.

In addition, the Food Innovation Lab, renovated with a $100,000 grant from GVRMA, complements the Cornell Food Venture Center Pilot Plant, a hub for food safety validation, testing and processing. The Food Innovation lab provides valuable resources for food and beverage entrepreneurs, allowing them to develop new products and contribute to the growth of the agrifood sector in New York State. The lab’s equipment includes both food preparation and scientific testing capabilities, benefiting entrepreneurs, graduate students, and the Cornell Maple Program.
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Western New York Maple Producers Association

The Western New York Maple Producers Assn. received a grant to educate school children in the Genesee Valley Region about maple syrup through the use of our mobile maple trailer and kids love it. Working with the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority has been a fantastic experience.

The Western New York Maple Producers Assn. received a grant to introduce Chefs to maple syrup through a maple calendar. We worked with the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute to produce 12 high end recipes, put them into a calendar and distributed 5000 calendars to restaurants for chefs to work from. Chefs loved it, they were hoping for a new calendar every year.
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Bishop Kearney Students Explore Local Agriculture and Grow Their Own Food

At Bishop Kearney High School, learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door—it extends into gardens, greenhouses, and farms across Monroe County. This spring, students in the school’s horticulture class planted and harvested crops including dill, tomatoes, turnips, radishes, and cabbage, all from gardens they designed themselves.

The hands-on horticulture class is a collaborative effort between Bishop Kearney and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County supported through a grant offered through the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority. Offered each fall and spring, the course enrolls 12 students and includes a combination of gardening, plant science, and field trips to local agricultural businesses.

So far this semester, students have visited seven agriculture-related sites, including commercial greenhouses, fruit orchards, nature centers, and community organizations. These experiences expose students to a range of career paths in horticulture while reinforcing classroom lessons in a real-world setting.

One of the highlights was a visit to First Market Farm, an urban farm in downtown Rochester operated by Taproot Collective. The nonprofit’s mission is to “design and build holistic systems for healthy local food, dignified housing, and educational opportunities with youth and families.” With over 4,500 square feet of growing space, First Market Farm introduced students to regenerative farming techniques and the importance of community gardening. As 4-H Youth Development Educator Natalie Fabretti noted, “It felt like a natural fit for the class to visit and learn about preparing a garden for spring planting even if it did snow while we are on location.”

Back on school grounds, students maintain raised beds built by previous classes. According to horticulture teacher Ellen Hansen, the responsibility of nurturing a plant often sparks deeper engagement. “I love seeing students take ownership. Too often, kids are passive learners, but this class brings out their sense of involvement and responsibility,” Hansen said.

Students agree. “Horticulture is all around us—it's in the food we eat and even the plants we see when we walk outside,” said John, a student in the spring class. Another classmate shared: “I’ve learned how important horticulture is because it provides so much of our produce and products. We need to protect it—it’s incredibly valuable.”

This course is part of the broader Monroe County 4-H Youth Development Program, offered through Cornell Cooperative Extension. 4-H is open to all youth ages 5–19 and provides opportunities for hands-on learning, leadership, and community involvement. Programs like this one at Bishop Kearney are helping students grow—not just plants, but also practical skills, self-confidence, and a deeper connection to their environment.

To learn more, visit http://monroe.cce.cornell.edu/4-h-youth-development.
 
5.17.2023. grows team chicken coop reorganization (1)
May 28, 2024

Brendan Tydings, Administrator
Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority
900 Jefferson Rd.
Rochester, NY 14623

Dear Brendan,

I am writing to thank you for several years of support that CCE Monroe’s Workforce Development programs have received from the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority. GVRMA was there as CCE Monroe launched two programs in 2021 and 2022 and continued that support into 2024.

CCE Monroe’s first Workforce Development program that received support from GVRMA, the Landscape Technicians Training Program, was actually a program that had a presence in Rochester for over 20 years, before languishing for several years without a sponsor. This program trains individuals in the basics of horticulture, starting with soils and plant structures and including introductions to landscape design, pruning and lawn maintenance among other topics. We have also included classes on growing food crops, emphasizing soil regenerative practices and highlighting urban agriculture.  There is a strong relationship with the horticulture industry and most of the instructors are members of that trade. In the four years that the Landscape Technicians have been a part of CCE Monroe, we have rebuilt the program, with our largest class in  2024. We are indebted to GVRMA for their support as we bring back this very strong training program for the horticulture/agriculture workforce.

In 2022, with the support of GVRMA, we turned the lawn area at CCE Monroe into an educational farm, called the South Lawn Farm. The half-acre area has been maintained by our Workforce Development program, Gaining Relevant and Outstanding Work Skills (GROWS). GROWS participants are unemployed young adults, 18-26 years old, from the City of Rochester who need a little mentoring to prepare them for success in the world of work. The GROWs participants grow & harvest vegetables that are then donated to local food pantries. In addition to, and aided by, the GROWS program, the South Lawn Farm has provided space for CCE Monroe’s Master Gardener’s annual Vegetable Varieties Trial and has offered space for research projects from RIT and NYS Soil Health. GVRMA has been a steadfast partner as we have grown, developed and expanded the GROWS and the Sout Lawn Farm.

For 2024, we have expanded the GROWS program to include a new farm on four contiguous lots in the city of Rochester. Sharing resources with the South Lawn Farm, the Remington Street Farm is an exercise in urban agriculture and raised-bed farming. While we did not request funding for this project, we consider GVRMA to be a partner in the evolution of GROWS and our Workforce Development programs and look forward to sharing our work and getting your feedback well into the future.

We appreciate GVRMA, and particularly your enthusiasm, Brendan. Without your support from the beginning, we would not have been able to achieve the level of programming that we have in 2 ½ short years!

Yours truly, Marci Muller, Horticulture Team Leader