The Center for Agricultural Development Entrepreneurship CADE presents Market Opportunities in Food Access Programs webinar

The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) invites farmers and local food producers to register for CADE’s free, digital webinar “Market Opportunities in Food Access Programs'' which takes place on March 16, 2023 from noon - 1:00 pm. CADE has been providing meaningful technical assistance and programming for the past 30 years to thousands of New York farm and food businesses. 

CADE continues to hear from farm and food businesses an interest in emerging new markets, and the desire to access new customers. The recent state of the state highlights agriculture and new market opportunities through Governor Houchol’s plans around increasing local food procurement, supporting farm to institution through ‘Scratch cooking’, and improving infrastructure for food access in communities that are historically underserved. The time is ripe to be looking at how emergency food response, food justice and food access programs have stabilized since the height of the pandemic to understand what the market opportunity is for farms and food businesses looking for new customers. 

Join CADE as they invite Food as Medicine Coordinator, Kate Miller Corcoran of Food & Health Network and 607 CSA’s Wholesale and Program Manager Cheryl Landsman to explore market opportunities in food access programs. Kate Miller Corcoran says “Food as Medicine is not a new idea, but it's one that is being reintroduced as healthcare costs skyrocket due to diet-related chronic health diseases. Through Food as Medicine initiatives, such as the Produce Prescription Program of South Central New York, healthcare providers are able to give their patients access to fruits and vegetables, which contribute to more positive health outcomes for those living with a diagnosis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

Joined by Cheryl Landsman who has been through the expansion of the 607 CSA to include solidarity shares, Farm to Pantry work in partnership with CADE and other, and launched food justice initiatives which have more recently led to the formalization of a new non-profit called Catskills Agrarian Alliance (CAA). Through 607 CSA and CAA - these farmers have demonstrated the demand and innovative responses to food security, that increase  the community's accessibility to food. Statewide programs like Nourish NY and Double Up Food Bucks NY present opportunities to reach customers that may not normally be in your purview. With the foundation of food access as a basic human right, this conversation will hear from Farm and food businesses’ experiences on navigating these programs and understand the potential of sales generation that can be secured while maintaining food justice and access values. 

Join CADE in building resilient and sustainable farm and food businesses and invest in your own small business by signing up for the webinar at cadefarms.org/workshops-and-webinars