Geneva Food Lab

The Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension systems support entrepreneurs interested in food-related ventures. To learn more about the facilities and services available, see the Cornell University Department of Food Science website online at: https://foodscience.cals.cornell.edu/about-us/facilities

Facilities available in Geneva, NY, which is the location closest to Orleans County, include:

Fruit and Vegetable Processing Pilot Plant
A 10,000 square foot facility on the Geneva, NY campus devoted to the preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables. Includes an extensive equipment inventory and full utilities.

Small Scale Unit Operations: Numerous pieces of equipment ranging from a ceramic ultrafiltration unit to an FPS pouch system are available in the pilot plant. Complete processing lines include continuous applesauce processing, apple/grape/tomato juice processing, and green bean canning.

Vinification & Brewing Technology Laboratory
The Cornell Vinification & Brewing Technology Laboratory is a pilot plant dedicated to research and teaching in wine and brewing sciences. The new facility will form a center in which wine and brewing industry members can test and learn about new ideas. Workshops and industry seminars can be conducted teaching the use of new equipment and techniques. The new Cornell V&B Lab has (most) all utilities in place to allow equipment manufacturers and distributors to demonstrate new equipment and instruct industry personnel on the proper use of the equipment. Industry member will be able to utilize space and equipment on a fee basis for their own tests or small production lots.

New York State Wine Analytical Laboratory
The NYS Wine Analytical Laboratory provides affordable:
– juice analysis
– wine analysis
– distillate analysis
The lab offers over 25 different chemical, microbiological, and sensory analyses at our facility in the Department of Food Science at Cornell’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., for quality assurance, trouble shooting and federal regulatory compliance. Analyses are offered at a discount to all New York bonded wineries, home winemakers, and craft distilleries because a portion of testing costs (approximately 33%) are subsidized by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation (NYWGF).

Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship (NECFE)
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. It’s purpose is to provide comprehensive assistance to beginning and established food entrepreneurs, thus promoting sustainable economic development of rural communities.

Last updated December 3, 2016