ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development (CAWD) along with NY FarmNet, the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), and Cornell Small Farms’ Futuro en Ag Program, are now in their eighth month of the new statewide initiative: VIDA Series. This once-a-month FREE program is designed to support the well-being, confidence, and long-term success of Hispanic farmworkers through short educational videos and interactive live discussions.
This Month’s Topic: How to Start a Small Business in Your Home Country
Have you ever dreamed of starting a small business in your home country? Whether you hope to invest in the future, support your family, or create an additional source of income, this session will provide practical ideas and strategies to help you turn your goals into reality.
Our featured speakers will be Mildred Alvarado, PhD, from the Cornell Small Farms Program and Jose Aguilera from Four Leaf Farm
Mildred Alvarado, PhD, is an Extension Associate who leads the Equity Farm Futures Initiative and the Futuro en Ag program. Born and raised on a small farm in Honduras, Mildred has more than 20 years of experience helping agricultural entrepreneurs in the United States and Latin America. She has personally built small businesses in several countries and will share practical lessons about investing, entrepreneurship, and creating opportunities even with limited resources.
José Luis Aguilera, grew up on a farm in Michoacán, Mexico, where his family cultivated corn and beans and raised livestock. After moving to New York State, he spent more than two decades working across the agricultural sector, gaining experience in apple orchards, diversified vegetable farms, and wineries. In 2024, José combined his lifelong agricultural knowledge and hands-on experience to launch his own commercial broiler operation. Since then, he has steadily expanded production while building valuable connections and collaborations with other local farmers and strengthening his role within the regional agricultural community.
Date: Thursday, August 20
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Whether your dream is to start a small farm, open a business, or invest in your future back home, this session will provide practical ideas, real-life experiences, and encouragement to help you take the first step. We hope you’ll join us!
https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/vida-program/
— Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
