Cornell Small Farms Program
Cornell Small Farms Program is a Cornell University extension initiative that delivers research-based online courses, workshops, and farmer-support projects to small and mid-scale farms across New York State via Cornell Cooperative Extension.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cornell Small Farms Program does
The Cornell Small Farms Program is a university extension initiative housed within Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), founded in 2001 and based in Ithaca, New York. It operates a state-wide network of farmer support through Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), which maintains a presence in every county of New York. The program is staffed by approximately 15 full-time personnel and is positioned to support small and mid-scale farm viability through applied research, online and in-person education, and community-building.
The program's core product is a catalog of more than 30 asynchronous online courses delivered through the Teachable learning platform, priced at $199-$299 per course, covering topics such as soil health, farm finances, specialty mushroom production, urban agriculture, agroforestry, and veteran farm training. Complementary offerings include the Small Farms Summits (with the 2025 edition spanning 8 host sites and 330+ attendees), an Agroforestry program, a Specialty Mushrooms project with five partner organizations, the Farm Ops veteran tracks, the Futuro en Ag Spanish-language initiative, Urban Agriculture curriculum, and a Small Farms Radio podcast.
The business model is a hybrid of individual course fee revenue and project-based grant funding. Income is generated from per-course fees paid by individual farmers and aspiring growers, supplemented by government grants from USDA-NIFA, USDA-SARE, Northeast SARE, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and USDA-AMS. Smaller micro-grants of $3,000-$5,000 are also disbursed to individual farmers through partner programs. The program is not an independent commercial entity; it is a program-level unit within Cornell CALS with no external ownership and no monetized equity structure.
Cornell Small Farms Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cornell Small Farms Program
- Legal name
- Cornell Small Farms Program
- Website
- https://smallfarms.cornell.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cornell Small Farms Program is a Cornell University extension initiative that delivers research-based online courses, workshops, and farmer-support projects to small and mid-scale farms across New York State via Cornell Cooperative Extension.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cornell Small Farms Program industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Extension Services
- NAICS
- Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crop, Soil & Agronomy Technician Training (EDAOAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB), Irrigation & Water Use Efficiency Agronomy (AFACABAF)
Keywords
Where Cornell Small Farms Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cornell Small Farms Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Course Registration Fees: Online courses priced from $199-299 based on household income, with shorter and longer courses pro-rated. Operates on registration revenue with no ongoing grant support for courses.
- Government Grants: Partially supported by grants from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, USDA-NIFA, USDA-SARE, Northeast SARE, and the Equitable Farm Futures Initiative
- Free Educational Resources: Free resources including farming guides, webinars, videos, and the Centro de Recursos para Agricultores (Spanish language resources) - no direct revenue
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Standard 6-week course pricing |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Payment Plan Option |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Military/Veteran Discount |
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | Scholarships |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Self-Paced Tutorials |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Cornell Small Farms Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Cornell Small Farms Program delivers research-based agricultural education, training, and extension services for small farm operators. It offers a portfolio of more than 30 interactive online courses (BF and PUA series), free self-paced farm planning tutorials, in-person workshops and field days, publications (farming guides, Small Farms Quarterly magazine), and a monthly podcast, all supported by a network of Cornell Cooperative Extension educators across New York State.
Product overview
The Cornell Small Farms Program is a comprehensive educational and extension program housed at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, offering a multi-format portfolio of products and services to support small farm viability. The core offering consists of over 30 interactive online courses delivered via the Teachable platform (including the BF beginning farmer series, PUA urban agriculture series, and business/financial planning courses), complemented by free self-paced tutorials (Plan Your Farm Hub, available in English and Spanish). The program delivers in-person trainings and workshops through its project-based initiatives and maintains a publications arm producing farming guides (Guide to Farming, Guide to Urban Farming), the Small Farms Quarterly magazine, webinars, and videos. Active projects include Agroforestry (silvopasture, forest farming, windbreaks), Specialty Mushrooms (leading US extension resource with 700+ member grower listserv), Farm Ops (veterans in agriculture with scholarships and training), Futuro en Ag (Spanish-language resources and bilingual peer learning circles via Centro de Recursos para Agricultores), Climate Resilience, Growing Together (farmer wellness and community retreats), New York Small Farms Summits, and Urban Agriculture. The program also produces Small Farms Radio, a monthly podcast sharing farmer voices. All offerings connect to a network of Cornell Cooperative Extension educators and partners throughout New York State.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Agroforestry: Project addressing practices that integrate trees, forests, and agricultural production including mushrooms, ramps, and nut trees.
- Climate Resilience
- Farm Ops
- Futuro en Ag
- Growing Together
- Small Farms Summits
- Specialty Mushrooms
- Urban Ag
- Small Farms Radio
Products and services
- Online Courses (BF and PUA Series)
- Self-Paced Tutorials (Plan Your Farm Hub)
- In-Person Trainings and Workshops
- Farming Guides and Publications
- Small Farms Quarterly Magazine
- Small Farms Radio Podcast A monthly podcast sharing farmer voices and stories from the food system, featuring bilingual conversations and covering topics such as agroforestry, poultry farming, and tree planting initiatives.
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of farmers served annually through online courses, in-person trainings, and programming
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Cornell Small Farms Program
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles8 records
Cornell Small Farms Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Cornell Small Farms Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)coreCCE plays a key role in the program's work, with educators leading a majority of online courses and collaborating on projects. Extension offices in every NYS county provide local support and programming.
- Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)coreCALS faculty and staff work with the program on research and extension projects focused on small farm viability. The program is housed within CALS.
- CCE Harvest NYmajorPartner in multi-year project to elevate and support diverse mushroom growers in the Northeast region.
- Fungi AllymajorPartner in multi-year project to elevate and support diverse mushroom growers in the Northeast region.
- Farm School NYCmajorPartner in multi-year project to elevate and support diverse mushroom growers in the Northeast region.
- Just FoodmajorPartner in multi-year project to elevate and support diverse mushroom growers in the Northeast region.
- GrowNYCmajorPartner in multi-year project to elevate and support diverse mushroom growers in the Northeast region.
- USDA-AMS Marketing Services DivisionmajorPartner in developing urban agriculture curriculum for commercial urban agriculturists, city planners, and policymakers.
- Rooted (Madison, WI)majorCenter for urban agriculture enterprise and education collaborated with to develop urban agriculture courses and training materials.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cornell Small Farms Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rodale Institute: National organic agriculture research and education organization offering farmer training, guides, and events. Comparable on agricultural education and research-extension mission though more oriented to organic systems and Pennsylvania-based.
Direct peers
- Practical Farmers of Iowa: Member-based nonprofit serving beginning and experienced farmers with field days, courses, networking, and research. Direct comparable as a mission-driven farmer education organization operating across an entire state/region.
- Cornell Cooperative Extension: The extension delivery network that hosts the Small Farms Program across every NYS county, sharing the same land-grant mission, audience of farmers, and Cornell affiliation. Directly comparable on audience, geography, and educational service model.
- University of Vermont Extension: Northeast land-grant extension serving small and beginning farmers in Vermont with courses, agroforestry resources, and research-based programming. Highly comparable for regional focus, scale, and educational service mix.
- University of Wisconsin Division of Extension: A land-grant extension with active small farm programming, including resources on specialty crops, agroforestry, and beginning farmer support. Comparable in audience and programming structure within the Midwest/Northeast extension ecosystem.
- Penn State Extension: Another land-grant university extension program offering agricultural courses, workshops, and publications to farmers. Direct peer in scale, funding model (USDA/state), and delivery of beginning farmer and specialty crop education.
Emerging players
- National Young Farmers Coalition: National nonprofit advocating for and supporting young and beginning farmers via training, policy, and network programs. Overlaps with the Small Farms Program on beginning farmer audience but with a stronger national advocacy and policy bent.
- Farm School NYC: NYC-based urban agriculture education nonprofit. Specific peer on the Urban Ag curriculum partnership and on serving urban and historically marginalized farming communities.
- Beginning Farmers: Online aggregator and resource hub for beginning farmer education, internships, and job listings. Partial overlap on audience but lacks the institutional research depth and in-person programming of a university extension.
Others
- USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): Federal grant program funding sustainable agriculture research and education; a key financial partner of the Small Farms Program but not a direct competitor. Relevant ecosystem participant in the same audience and funding niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cornell Small Farms Program social profiles
Digital presenceCornell Small Farms Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cornell Small Farms Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Cornell Small Farms Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cornell Small Farms Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cornell Small Farms Program
What does Cornell Small Farms Program do?
The Cornell Small Farms Program delivers research-based agricultural education, training, and extension services for small farm operators. It offers a portfolio of more than 30 interactive online courses (BF and PUA series), free self-paced farm planning tutorials, in-person workshops and field days, publications (farming guides, Small Farms Quarterly magazine), and a monthly podcast, all supported by a network of Cornell Cooperative Extension educators across New York State.
Is Cornell Small Farms Program a public or private company?
Cornell Small Farms Program is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cornell Small Farms Program founded?
Cornell Small Farms Program was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cornell Small Farms Program based?
Cornell Small Farms Program is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cornell Small Farms Program make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Course Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and free Educational Resources.
Who are Cornell Small Farms Program's main competitors?
Rodale Institute is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Practical Farmers of Iowa, Cornell Cooperative Extension, University of Vermont Extension, University of Wisconsin Division of Extension and Penn State Extension. Emerging players are National Young Farmers Coalition, Farm School NYC and Beginning Farmers. USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is listed as an others.
Does Cornell Small Farms Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cornell Small Farms Program.
What industry is Cornell Small Farms Program in?
Cornell Small Farms Program's product category is Agricultural Extension Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOAOAF, Crop, Soil & Agronomy Technician Training, with a secondary code of AFACAJAF, Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory. Its NAICS code is 115116 and its SIC code is 8200.