Origin

The Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship (NECFE) started as a joint effort to expand the activities of the NYS Food Venture Center at Cornell University and the Center for Food Science at the University of Vermont, and was funded in part by Fund for Rural America/CSREES/USDA from January 2000 to January 2005.

Currently, NECFE activities are carried out by the New York State Food Venture Center (NYSFVC) with support from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and the Agriculture Innovation Center grant (http://agriability.cornell.edu/). The NYSFVC, which began operations in 1988 under the direction of Dr. Donald Downing, was an extension program of the Department of Food Science & Technology at Cornell University funded by New York State. The Venture Center provided technical assistance on food manufacturing issues to entrepreneurs and food companies by drawing on Cornell experts, links with the FDA and USDA, and the professional knowlege of the center director and extension support specialist. In over a decade of work, the NYSFVC fielded more than 2000 requests for assistance and helped to establish 450 new food manufacturing businesses.

The Center for Food Science (CFS) at the University of Vermont was established by the Vermont Technology Council in 1995 under Executive order by Governor Howard Dean. In 1996 the Center received $250,000 from the USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grants program. This funding was matched by the state legislature, allowing the partial renovation of Carrigan Dairy Science Building which would house the Center for Science. The NECFE grant gave UVM funding for NECFE staffing housed at the Center for Food Science in Carrigan Dairy Science Building.

NECFE at the New York State Food Venture Center continues to work collaboratively with The Vermont Food Venture Center in Fairfax, VT which also was established in 1996 with funding from the USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grants program.

Mission
To provide comprehensive assistance to beginning and established food entrepreneurs thus promoting sustainable economic development of rural communities. The Center offers services, outreach and research development opportunities in four critical areas: business and product process development, product safety, process/product technology transfer and product commercialization.

Services
We provide educational materials, workshops, direct assistance, and referrals to appropriate organizations, in the following areas:

• Business Development and Entrepreneurship Training
• Strategies and Tools for Marketing
• Product Process Development
• Product Safety Evaluation
• Guidance in local, state and Federal Regulatory Compliance
• Linkages to Business Assistance and Potential Financing Sources
• Referrals to Local Suppliers and Service Providers

Funds for loans and grants are not available through this program.

Expertise
Our team of professionals has expertise in all aspects of food entrepreneurship.
They include:

• 1 Product Process Authorities
• 1 Business & Marketing Consultants

Teaching, research and extension programs are integrated to support the development and success of agricultural, value-added, food products.

Facilities
Through the center, entrepreneurs have access to established Cornell facilities such as:

• Analytical Laboratories for extensive product analysis and methods development.
• Fruit and Vegetable Technology Pilot Plant offers extensive equipment for a wide variety of processing, testing and scale-up operations. Controlled temperature and humidity rooms are available for storage and shelf-life studies.
• Vinification and Brewing Technology Laboratory is a pilot plant serving wine makers and brewers for collaborative research and development in winemaking and brewing.
• Food Processing and Development Laboratory includes a 10,000 ft2 pilot plant equipped with a wide selection of pilot-scale equipment, available for use by clients on a contract basis.
• USDA Approved Meats Laboratory consists of a federally inspected abatoir for cattle, sheep and swine with chill coolers, freezers, meat processing and vacuum packing equipment
• Dairy Pilot Plant equipped with cheese, yogurt and ice cream processing capabilities.

Geographical Region
Northeast United States, primarily but not limited to New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut.