Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation

06/01/2026

What most people call a w**d, Stayc St. Onge calls an invitation. She is the founder of Weeds Belong, cultivating and foraging medicinal plants like mugwort, calendula, and elderberry to create small-batch tinctures, oils, and balms in Sullivan County. HVADC Business Advisor Brian Zweig helped her turn that vision into a real business plan. Learn more about her plans for her sixth growing season, scaling up, and bringing plant medicine to her community at the Livingston Manor Farmers' Market in an HVADC Cultivator article at https://www.hvadc.org/news-22/hvadc-client%3A-w**ds-belong

05/29/2026

What started with a bike and a few compost buckets has grown into a regional composting company serving homes, schools, cafes, and businesses across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and now the Hudson Valley. Along the way, Bootstrap Compost faced serious challenges — and found support through HVADC’s Incubator Without Walls program. Read how founder Andy Brooks rebuilt the business and continues to turn food waste into opportunity across the region in an HVADC Cultivator article at https://www.hvadc.org/news-22/hvadc-client%3A-bootstrap-compost

05/18/2026

This Wednesday May 20 is Hudson Valley Cares Gives Day. This one-day event unites hundreds of charities across our region to raise funds for their activities. We ask that you consider a donation to FeedHV. https://www.feedhv.org/donate-today. Monetary gifts allow us to purchase directly from local farms to augment the donations that run through the FeedHV rescue network, provide even more to our receiving agencies, and support local agriculture. Or, consider donating directly to one of our food receiving agencies in your community. Donate to FeedHV at https://www.feedhv.org/donate-today.

05/07/2026

Congratulations to all the donors, volunteers and receiving agencies that comprise HVADC's Feed HV community food network. Your efforts over the years have help us pass the 1 million pounds rescued mark!

In April, we hit a major milestone! FeedHV surpassed 1,000,000 pounds donated since the program's inception in 2017. Thank you to all of the food donors, volunteers and recipient agencies that have made this happen. During April, 10 donors contributed over 27,200 pounds and 19 volunteers helped to put us over the top, with 89 runs completed. We are very grateful for the community we have built on ChowMatch.
If you would like to be part of the next one million, reach out to [email protected] or visit feedhv.org.

05/01/2026

From film school to farmland, Alfie and Deanna Alcántara are restoring a piece of history in the Catskills. Dear Native Grapes: a winery dedicated to reviving America’s forgotten native grapes. When they received a grant, but needed upfront capital, HVADC Agribusiness Loan Fund was able to help them with a bridge loan. This is what agribusiness support looks like in practice. Read more in an HVADC Cultivator article: https://tinyurl.com/5shh5mdf
Dear native grapes,

04/30/2026

On a summer morning in Ulster County, the hum of agriculture isn’t just tractors and irrigation pumps. It’s the quiet whir of a refrigeration unit that no longer leaks greenhouse gases. It’s the glide of an electric cargo van headed down the Thruway before dawn. It’s sunlight hitting a barn roof lined with solar panels. The common thread isn’t just hard work. It’s intention. Through the Ulster County Farm Viability & Sustainability Grant program administered by HVADC, nine farms are betting that energy efficiency isn’t a luxury. It’s survival. Meet some of the recipients in a recent HVADC Cultivator article at https://tinyurl.com/y87xx6zy.

04/22/2026

A very nice feature in Hudson Valley Magazine about HVADC client Klocke Estate. Learn more about the story behind this Hudson Valley standout.

Just 10 minutes from Hudson, the Columbia County distillery and dining venue tempts with artisanal brandy, vermouth, and more.

04/22/2026

Congratulations to Fred Battenfeld of Battenfeld Christmas Tree Farm in Red Hook. Fred was a recipient of a Dutchess County Agricultural Society’s Tractor Award at last week’s Annual Dutchess County Ag Breakfast. It was a great to see him honored, and to be able to reunite with old friends, colleagues and meet some of the next generation of farmers in the county.

03/31/2026

In continuing celebration of International Year of the Women Farmer: if you have access to PBS Passport or the free PBS App, this is a great watch and historical perspective illuminating the often-overlooked challenges and triumphs of women in agriculture.

Shining a light on the often-overlooked contributions of women in agriculture.

03/23/2026

Jack Peele’s first attempt at making British bangers was a “disaster.” That botched experiment turned out to be the beginning of something successful: JACüTERIE, Peele’s Hudson Valley charcuterie business. After 10+ years of building his brand, Jack worked with Berkshire Agricultural Ventures and HVADC to level up. Today, Jacuterie helps 6-10 regional farms create custom sausages and cured meats under their own labels. His story is a reminder that the right technical assistance and funding can take a good idea and make it great. Read about it a recent HVADC Cultivator article at https://www.hvadc.org/news-22/hvadc-client%3A-jacuterie