Farmer & Foodmaker Resources

Selling at Farmers Markets

NY Department of Agriculture & Markets

The state regulatory authority overseeing farmers markets provides information on permits, food safety and food benefit programs.

Cultivating Profits at Farmers Markets

In 2024 Cornell Cooperative Extension & the Farmers Market Federation of NY gathered data from 200+ farmers to report best practices for engaging with farmers markets, including selecting markets, pricing product, and marketing.

Farmers Market Pros Vendor 101

A self-paced online program for vendors who are new to farmers markets and in the early stages of building their business. Includes general best practices and information about permits needed in specific locations.

Farmers Market Pros Tent Talk Podcast

Learn from vendors and farmers market managers from around the country

Increasing Sales at Farmers Markets

Learn from an ongoing Cornell study on:
– Best practices
– Fruit, vegetable and meat pricing benchmarks

and join the project for personalized advice and technical support

Tips For Hiring Market Staff

A useful overview of things to consider when growing your sales team from an experienced farmers market salesperson.

Starting a Business

Cornell Food Venture Center

Offers nutrition and safety evaluation, process development, guidance to regulatory compliance, education and resources to food production businesses of all sizes.

Entrepreneur Space

This small business incubator in Queens offers a fully equipped kitchen and business coaching. Their FAQ is a great place to start if you need an overview of what starting a new food business will require.

NYC business requirements wizard

Spend 10 minutes answering questions about your business to get a list of the city, state and federal licenses and permits that it will need.

Growing a Business

NY Small Business Development Centers

State-funded, no-cost business development services offered via 20 regional development centers and 70 satellite locations.

City of New York business resources

City-provided programs and resources, including assistance with getting licenses and permits.

Made in NYC

A non-profit initiative to support NYC-based manufacturers and makers with skill-building programs, promotional platforms and small business resources. Their Learning Lab offers free workshops and creative services to NYC brands in partnership with Pratt Institute’s design and communications faculty.

SCORE

SCORE NYC and Westchester: Experienced businesspeople volunteer to share their knowledge through mentoring and workshops. SCORE is available nationwide so search for an office near you.

Westchester County Catalyst

The county’s economic development office offers business resource links and links for assistance in starting a small business.

Specialized Podcasts

Food Business Success offers tips from a small scale food business consultant with farmers market experience.

The Good Food CFO offers tips for purpose-driven food business founders heading to their first $1 million with an eye on profit and good financial management.

Support for Farmers

Cornell Small Farms Program

Education, resources and courses in the business of farming for farmers at all phases of their development. Their guide to farming in NY is updated periodically to answer questions about starting and running a farm business.

CADE

Free business education and technical support for NY farmers, including land acquisition, financial management, marketing, sales channel development, and value-added production planning.

Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation

HVADC provides agricultural entrepreneurship support for Hudson Valley farms and food businesses, including business technical assistance, loans, marketing and promotion and food rescue.

Join the Hudson Valley Bounty farmer newsletter for weekly updates on funding and training opportunities as well as a job board.

Farm Aid

(Yes, the music festival). This organization has a site packed with information about farm policy and resources for farmers including a hotline in English and Spanish for requesting assistance. The Farmer Resource Network is a searchable database of organizations and resources useful to farmers, from business planning to community building, to mental health support and disaster relief.