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
- Outstanding writing, editing, and communications skills
- Comfortable with a variety of office technology or readiness to learn (e.g., spreadsheets/Excel, Wix, Squarespace, Salesforce, social media, GSuite, etc.)
- Self-motivated and able to accomplish work independently as well as collaboratively
Talia HoltzmanTechnology & Operations Coordinator
Talia 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.
Rhiannon WrightProgram Manager
Rhiannon 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 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.
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.
Kerry Mess
Operations & Administration Manager
Kerry L. Mess is the Operations & Administration Manager at CADE. As a young girl, Kerry played agricultural entrepreneur in her backyard and dreamed with her sister about living on an organic farm (Anne of Green Gables style). She spent 15 years creating a chemical free permaculture oasis in the heart of her hometown Milwaukee, WI before moving to upstate New York. With permaculture design certificates, she and her husband hope to create a similar oasis on a much larger
plot of land in rural NYS.Before coming to CADE, Kerry spent 22 years teaching English to high school through college students and four years training English teachers in Sri Lanka with the Peace Corps. As a lifelong learner, she perpetually looked for new ways to engage students and colleagues and served in leadership roles at local, state, and national levels through various professional organizations. She earned her BS in secondary English education at UW-Milwaukee and is a National Board Certified teacher; she completed her MA in Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Syracuse University.
Kerry is excited to blend her professional skills with her family’s personal agricultural interests in service of a healthy, vibrant NYS state food economy.
Ken JaffeBoard Member
Ken Jaffe, MD, has 35 years experience working at the intersection of public health and sustainable agriculture. Jaffe operated a family medical practice for 25 years and attended public health school at Columbia University. He developed a grass fed beef farm in upstate New York, and a company that provides a marketing channel for 23 grass fed producers to wholesale buyers.
Ensuring children have access to healthy local meats, Jaffe created the first program offering NYS raised and processed beef to K-12 schools in 26 school districts from Buffalo to Long Island from 2013-2018. He exited that business in 2018 to focus on policy issues around livestock production and human health. Jaffe sits on the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Farm-to-School Coordinating Committee supporting strategic planning and is a member of the NY Grown Food for NY Kids Coalition organized by the American Farmland Trust. He is a “Clinical Champion” of Health Care With Harm. He has lectured on antibiotics, livestock and human health at Cornell’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health Program, and at the NY Academy of Medicine.
Jaffe is a Board member of the Center of Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) since 2010. In his Board capacity, he is leading the way for NYS to reduce on-farm antibiotic use in partnership with farmers and veterinarians. Enhanced antibiotic stewardship will help prevent the emergence of so-called “super bugs”--bacteria that are antibiotic resistant, posing a public health crisis for both humans and animals.
Jaffe is also on the Advisory Board of the Northeast Beef Supply Chain Study with Tufts and Cornell and authored Cornell’s “Green Grass, Green Jobs” report on the economic potential of underutilized NY grasslands.
Jaffe earned his medical degree from University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine.
