Upcoming Education & Events
Register below to join us in building a profitable, regenerative, equitable, and healthy local food system.
Be sure to check out our events calendar for all the latest courses, events, and more! Read on for more information on registration and other details.
Education
The majority of our educational programming takes place during the Winter season. Check back soon for details, and make sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter so you don’t miss out!
Business Planning
Online Intensive Course paired with 1:1 CADE services
Facilitators/Instructors: CADE StaffIn this free 5 session course, access all the information you need to develop or strengthen your farm or food business plan. The course provides a strong foundation of business best practices in operations, financials, and marketing for values-driven entrepreneurs, whether you’re just starting out, or are a seasoned business in need of a fresh perspective.
Course materials available 24/7 on an online learning platform (Kajabi), with live class sessions held biweekly on Zoom. Class sessions will bring the group together to connect with instructors, share with their peers, ask questions, and practice the application of what they have learned.
Course instructors are ready to engage 1:1 with participants to give them direct and personalized feedback on activities, and work with them to complete a full business plan.
Registration for 2024 Business Planning course is now closed. Be sure to sign up for CADE's newsletter to be the first to know when registration opens again, and stay up to date on all the latest CADE programs, financial resources, market opportunities, events, industry news, and more!
Check out what your peers have said about the Business Planning Course:
“Even though I've run a business for quite a bit of time… I feel much more confident both in what I'm putting together and in my ability to create a business plan.”
“The business planning workshop and 1:1 session was very helpful for me figuring out how to grow my business and help it become more sustainable.”
Events
We are working hard to bring you informative and engaging programming. Check back soon for details, and make sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter so you don’t miss out!
Zaid KurdiehBoard Member
Zaid Kurdieh, managing partner of Norwich Meadows farm has amassed more than 35 years working in the agriculture industry in different capacities. While pursuing an MBA from the University of South Dakota, Zaid simultaneously worked for the USDA (Farmers Home Administration) as an agricultural management specialist. Following that chapter, he did some graduate study work (PhD) in agricultural economics at Kansas State University. In the fall of 1996, Zaid then took a position with Cornell Cooperative Extension as a farm business management specialist where he worked closely with farmers and other agricultural businesses assisting them with planning, analysis and marketing.
In 1998, Zaid and his partners decided to start Norwich Meadows Farm to produce and provide certified organic fruits and vegetables to the market. What started as a two acre farm has grown into a 230+ acre business, with 180 high tunnels and 50+ employees. During peak season, Norwich Meadows Farm is present at eleven farmer's markets each week, has 600+ CSA members and supplies more than 200 high-end restaurants in addition to wholesale customers.Zaid was also a member of the faculty at SUNY Morrisville, Norwich campus, teaching business statistics for two and a half years. He has also contributed as a speaker at Farm AID and several agricultural conferences and symposiums. He is also a board member of Chef’s for Impact.
Volunteer with CADE
CADE is seeking volunteers to support our work in event planning, outreach and promotion, donor management, and logistics/administration. To apply, send an email to careers@cadefarms.org with “Volunteer Application” in the subject line. Please include your resume and a cover letter detailing your interest in volunteering for CADE. Volunteers will be accepted on a rolling basis, as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Enthusiasm for CADE’s mission
- Ability to multitask, keep organized, and be collaborative and communicative
- Self-motivated and able to accomplish work independently as part of a team
- Outstanding writing, editing, and communications skills
- Comfortable with a variety of office technologies or readiness to learn (e.g. Google Workspace, Canva, Hubspot, Wix, social media, etc.)
Talia HoltzmanTechnology & Operations Coordinator
talia@cadefarms.org
607-433-2545 x2006Talia has deep roots in Western NY; she grew up in Rochester, where all of her grandparents were born and raised, and spent summers in the Finger Lakes. She loves farm animals, fresh herbs, and discovering new foods to experiment with in her kitchen.
Talia studied Neuroscience and Biology at Brandeis University and has bounced around since then - living abroad for several years and spending most of 2022 on a country-wide road trip - before eventually moving back to Rochester. Talia has over 5 years of experience testing software and building quality systems for various start-ups. She is excited to bring her technical expertise to CADE and help build a more equitable and sustainable agricultural economy in NYS.
Catskills Young Farmers and CADE are proud to bring you another hands-on training - Small Ruminants 101! This two day event will introduce beginning farmers to different approaches to raising sheep and goats for meat. Your teachers will be an inspiring mix of Delaware County farmers, processors, and educators focused on sustainable practices.
Featuring:
- Roam On the Range (Hobart) - Goat herding, silvopasture, agrotourism
- Weathered Hill Farm (South Kortright) - Rotational sheep grazing, custom on-farm processing
- East Brook Community Farm (Walton) - Goat slaughter demonstration
- Solinsky’s Meats (Stamford) - Working with a USDA meat processor
- CCE Delaware - learn what type of support CCE can provide to farmers
Our farmer teachers (all members of the Catskills Young Farmers chapter!) have evolved their businesses over time to serve two emerging markets: agritourism and our growing New American communities.
Rain or shine, we’ll walk and talk with the farmers about their practices and different perspectives on raising animals for meat production. You’ll see a range of management skills in action, from on-farm slaughter, to pasture management, to animal health monitoring.
You’ll also hear from a local USDA-certified meat processor about what it’s like to sell premium farm products directly to consumers.
Plan to be on your feet for 3+ hours at a time of walking through fields, brush, and woods. Waterproof shoes and sturdy warm clothing are a must!
Delicious, locally sourced lunches will be provided by New Day Kitchen, and limited lodging is available for out-of-town folks upon request.
This event is FREE, but space is limited and registration is required. We have a max capacity of 12 participants. Full participation in both days is preferred, but not required. Beginning farmers, and those who self-identify as marginalized will be prioritized.
REGISTER HERE - registration open until October 11!
Questions about this program can be directed to Rhiannon Wright - rhiannon@cadefarms.org.
Shannon FinnBoard Member
Danforth Jersey Farm has been in Shannon Finn’s family for 207 years over seven generations. Settled by her great-great-great grandparents Nahum and Esther Danforth in 1817, it is now home to Shannon, her husband Dan, children Gus, Daisy, and Meadow Rose, her father Dave, their herd of 70 registered Jerseys, and their Cowbella butter business. Shannon grew up on the farm with her grandfather George Danforth in a 3 generation household, and returned to take over milking cows in 2006 after his passing. In 2010 Shannon, her mother Gail, and their family started Cowbella with the intention of preserving their historic farm and giving it a future that the next generations would want to come home to. They began with the idea of making butter, with the knowledge that their Jerseys were the ideal breed of cow for buttermaking. They knew they had something very special when pasture season came round that first May of production in 2011, as the butter started turning sunflower yellow, a quality unique to grazing Jersey milk. Over the years, Cowbella has produced many different dairy products including cream line milk, yogurt, kefir, and cheese, but in the end it has always come back to butter for Shannon’s family.
The legacy of butter goes far back in the farm’s history, with Shannon’s great-great grandmother Martha Danforth having won an Award Of Excellence for butter making at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The certificate for her award still hangs proudly in the farmhouse kitchen. Martha was the only other woman to have run the farm after her husband, George Washington Danforth, suddenly passed away at age 50. Their only surviving son, Everett, was only 11 when his father passed away, so Martha and her 2 oldest daughters made butter to keep the farm running and support all 6 children until he was old enough to take over. Martha’s churn, separator, and many of her butter making tools are still the farm’s most treasured possessions. As their seventh generation comes of age, Shannon and her family continue to nurture the Cowbella family tree as it branches out, while remaining deeply rooted in the traditions and history of their beloved Danforth Jersey Farm.
Rhiannon WrightProgram Manager
rhiannon@cadefarms.org
607-433-2545 x2005Rhiannon Wright is a Program Manager at CADE, leading our land access and regenerative practices programming. Rhiannon owns and operates a nursery called The Forest Exchange with her partner in Jefferson, NY. The nursery specializes in trees and shrubs for agroforestry practices, like hybrid chestnuts, elderberry, and willow.
Prior to working with CADE, Rhiannon worked with the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance to manage the Doylestown Farmers Market. She has a B.S. in Community Development from Temple University with a focus in Sustainable Food Systems Planning. She is on the leadership team of the Catskills chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition.
She is a firm believer that cooperative business design and perennial foods will play key roles in a robust agricultural future for the northeast. She is proud to be a queer farmer, enjoys all avenues of fiber art, and is a learning herbalist.
Phoebe SchreinierExecutive Director
phoebe@cadefarms.org
607-433-2545 x2000Phoebe Schreiner joined CADE as Executive Director in 2018. Building on the organization’s legacy as a key player in NY’s agricultural sector, Schreiner is leading the organization into its next phase of growth and impact by supporting agricultural development across NYS, strengthening farm and food businesses, and maturing the food supply chain.
Schreiner brings to CADE 20 years of global-to-local experience leading social and economic development programs around the world--from the former Soviet Union, to the Middle East, to South Asia, and to New York--including with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations, the Open Society Foundations, among others.
Schreiner is a currently a member of Congressman Delgado’s Agricultural Advisory Committee for the 19th Congressional District, the Otsego County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Committee, the Farm-to-School Task Force of Delaware County, the Otsego County Energy Task Force Sub-Committee on Economic Development, Technical Committee of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, the Schoharie County Land Trust, and Gilboa Historical Society.
She is 8th generation on her family’s homestead in Cornell Hollow, settled in 1795 by her 5x great grandfather, William Cornell, in Gilboa (Schoharie County), NY. A local history buff, antique aficionado, and family ancestry enthusiast, she takes great delight in (slowly but surely) renovating her family’s Greek Revival farmhouse built by her 3x great grandfather, Simon Cornell in 1853. She is a beekeeping hobbyist and mother of a young son.
Schreiner earned her M.A. from Columbia University and B.A. from Smith College.
Patricia DopazoBoard Secretary
Patricia Dopazo is Director of Planned Giving at Hartwick College. As a charitable gift planning specialist for over 13 years, she has helped donors establish optimal gift arrangements for themselves and Hartwick. In addition to her fundraising activities, Pat enjoys working with faculty and off-campus partners to develop other, non-financial opportunities that enrich Hartwick’s educational programs and student experience.
Her passion is building relationships, which she has done in a variety of professional arenas world-wide spanning over 40 years, as a financial and estate planning advisor at the Trust Division of NBT Bank and at A.G. Edwards & Sons (now Wells Fargo Financial Services), and as a coffee trading professional specializing in Latin America.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Pat speaks Spanish and French. She earned a BA in French from SUNY Stony Brook.
Request for Proposals - Marketing/Branding Consultant
The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) seeks 2-3 Consultants to provide 1:1 branding and marketing services to 8-10 beginning farmer clients in spring 2025. CADE welcomes proposals from those experienced in brand development, graphic design, marketing strategy, and monitoring and evaluation of marketing tactics. Experience with farms or food businesses is a plus.
ABOUT CADE: CADE is a non-profit organization founded in 1991, based in Oneonta, NY, whose mission is to increase the number and diversity of successful farm enterprises. Our goal is for farm and food businesses to compete and thrive, contributing to a sustainable regional food system and strong local economy. CADE strives to uphold and promote the following values as an organization and in our work with clients: Sustainability, Collaboration, Inclusion, Transparency and Innovation.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide marketing services to 2-8 beginning farmer clients selected and vetted by CADE through a competitive application process* between early March – early May 2025
- *Clients will apply to the program in January 2025. CADE staff will review applications and select 8-10 participants in February 2025. Selected clients will be given the choice of 2-3 designers to work with.
- Assess each client’s branding and marketing needs and determine a scope of work that falls within the project budget.* Services could include: general marketing strategy, brand kit development, social media strategy/templates, product labels, signage, wholesale sell sheets, eCommerce support, etc.
- *All clients will have the same stipend for work with their chosen designer. If the client prefers to work on a larger project that exceeds the allocated budget (for example, a website build), CADE can provide a cost share where the client covers the excess amount.
- Manage client relationships independently, while keeping CADE staff informed on progress biweekly as agreed upon by all parties.
DELIVERABLES
- At project start (Dec 2024)
- Meet with CADE staff to understand program scope and timeline
- Client work (March-May 2025)
- Onboarding meetings with CADE staff and between 2-8 beginning farmer clients
- Consultant carries out scope of work with clients
- Project wrap (May 2025)
- Provide a final report with brief descriptions of services provided to each client
QUALIFICATIONS OF VENDORS
- Strong experience with industry standards and trends for branding, social media, and marketing strategy for farm and food businesses in New York State
- Highly personable, with comfortability being in direct communication with CADE’s farmer clients
- Familiarity with antiracist frameworks and commitment to an equitable, sustainable food system
TO APPLY
Please submit a proposal (not to exceed 2 pages) to Rhiannon Wright (rhiannon@cadefarms.org) with subject “RFP-Marketing Consultant” by 11/29/2024 that contains the following information:
(1) a brief letter of interest and related qualifications
(2) a proposed work plan, including a start date; and
(3) a basic pricing list for standard design/marketing services provided by the consultantAPPLICATION PROCESS
Proposals will be accepted until 11/29/2024, with a determination by 12/6/2024. This project will wrap by 5/31/2025.
No phone calls please. CADE values diverse experiences and perspectives. We encourage farmers, historically underserved candidates, and those who may not meet all preferred qualifications to apply. Applicants should be committed to anti-racist initiatives and ready to contribute to CADE’ s mission of building a more equitable food system.
CADE is an equal opportunity employer committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws. CADE prohibits discrimination against any employee and considers applications for all positions without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, military status, height and weight, religion, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest record, or any other legally protected status. People of color, persons with disabilities, veterans, women, and LGBT applicants are encouraged to apply.
- Provide marketing services to 2-8 beginning farmer clients selected and vetted by CADE through a competitive application process* between early March – early May 2025
Madalyn WarrenBoard Member
Madalyn Warren has been fermenting kimchee with her family since her first job peeling garlic as a child. A fundamental part of Korean food, culture and heritage, kimchee has played a vital role in the Warren family as long as she can remember. Since moving to Roxbury to farm in 2003, Madalyn has been making what she refers to as "farmstead kimchee" in large batches, sharing her love of the fermented Korean staple with friends and family. After moving down Route 30 and starting East Branch Farms in 2013, Madalyn and her mother Ji Kim continued to develop their family technique and recipes together.
Always using freshest specialty vegetables which contain the highest amounts of beneficial microbes, perfect for a lacto-fermented product, East Branch Farm uses organic and biodynamic farming practices to grow vegetables, herbs and medicinal plants and promote vibrant ecosystems for the soil, microbes, birds and beneficial insects.
