With a focus on local foods as an important economic driver in the Southern Tier, plans for a new agriculture development center were unveiled in the Spring of 2016. Opened in 2017, the new center, located on Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County’s campus, was funded through $500,000 from the state’s Southern Tier Agricultural Industry Enhancement program as well as a $750,000 Assembly grant secured by Assemblywoman Lupardo. Additional funds from the Hoyt and Ahearn Foundations and CCE, were used to renovate the old Cutler House, next door to CCE on Front St. The facility is home to classrooms, meeting space, and a TasteNY store; all of which are used to educate and train current and future food producers and help them bring their products to market.
Before & after: the old Cutler House on the CCE Broome campus was transformed into a new Agriculture Development Center.
Above: the Taste NY Store inside the Agriculture Development Center at CCE Broome.