Center for Agricultural Development

“The board has developed an ad hoc committee to meet and review the form 990 prior to it being filed with the irs.”

“A signed conflict of interest statement is updated annually by each member of the board of directors.”

“The executive committee must obtain comparison data from an expert source or from industry surveys conducted by an independent source. If no independent source is available, the executive committee may obtain comparable data by documenting the compensation paid to directors holding similar positions in similar organizations locally. The evaluation shall also include a peer review, including, but not limited to staff, consultants, and partners. When merited, the performance evaluation may serve as the basis for an increase in base pay or the payments of a one- time bonus payment, as determined by the board of directors, based upon the nature of the review and within budgetary constraints. Once the executive committee has determined the directors compensation or an increase to the directors compensation is reasonable, the executive committee will prepare a written report to the board documenting its decision.”

“SEE 15A ABOVE.”

“It shall be the policy of cade to have governing documents, the conflict of interest policy, and the organizations financial statements available to the public upon request. These documents shall be kept by the treasurer or executive director as appointed by the board of directors of cade. The treasurer or executive director of cade shall produce the documents upon receipt of a written or verbal request of the public. The treasurer or executive director shall keep a record of the written and/or verbal request.”

“Farm and food business incubator and accelerator(ffbi/ffba) cade's ffbi, implemented in partnership with suny cobleskill, contributes to a thriving farm and food business sector in new york state, with priority for businesses in the mohawk valley. The program provides technical assistance and educational servics to agribusiness entrepreneurs, with priority for beginning farmers, on business development, access to capital, legal structuring, labor, and other business needs. Cade services are delivered through workshops, one-to-one consultations, and increasingly through online educational intruction through cade's expanding intructional video library. Ffba is a newly established initiative offered by cade and suny cobleskill - designed to deliver product incubation services to agribusiness entrepreneurs ready to grow, expand, or transition into value-added production. Our goal is to accelerate their success, enhancing their capacity to impact the region's agricultural economy and new york's food system. Program funding sources: suny cobleskill, usda bfrdp, usda ewdp, the scriven foundation.”

“Vision 2050 in collaboration with the dyson school of cornell university, the cornell small farms program, hartwick college, suny cobleskill, and faculty from columbia university, cade brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a long-term, visionary plan for new york states' agricultural future--setting nys on course to become the northeast's leading foodshed by 2050 and a model for a regenerative, sustainable, equitable food sytem. The vision was formed by farm and food business sector leaders from across the supply chain, food system experts, agricultural specialists, climate change specialists, among others. The purpose of the vision is to inform leaders and policy makers on how they can accelerate sustainable agricultural economic development, increase food security, mitigate climate change, and create green jobs throughout the farm and food sector in new york state by 2050. Program funding sources: esd, arc, the scriven foundation, cfoc. Farm to institution cade is working to enhance the capacity of farm and food businesses to access institutional markets--including public schools, pantries, health and senior centers, universities/colleges, food pantries, etc.--and simultaneously, to build the capacity of institutions to purchase more local/new york produced food. As part of this work, cade helped design and launch ripecommunity, an online matchmaking platform designed to connect food suppliers with institutional food buyers. Program funding sources: usda lfpp, chaobani impact fund, nysdam, hcoc, nyu stern, wild kale.”