The Cornell Food Venture Center(CFVC) Pilot Plant in Geneva, NY, is a unique processing facility designed for food businesses of all sizes to facilitate product development and scale up new or optimized food products.

The Pilot Plant provides the facilities and experience our clients need to:

  • Develop product formulations that scale accordingly.

  • Create robust production methods.

  • Ensure long-term food safety.

We tailor each process workflow and product to the clients expectations, while remaining aware of next steps in the commercialization process, to choose processes and equipment that are ultimately transferable to a manufacturing or co-packing facility.

Contact Us

man standing with arms crossed in black shirt outside
Roger Morse

Pilot Plant Manager

Food Science

Cornell AgriTech

Roger Morse
man in black shirt in front of lab equipment
George Howick

Technician III

Food Science

Cornell AgriTech

George Howick
  • gh342 [at] cornell.edu
man in light grey shirt standing outside with arms crossed
Bob Martin

Technician III

Food Science

Cornell AgriTech

Bob Martin
  • rm822 [at] cornell.edu

The clients we serve

A product line of bags and glass jars of seasonings with yellow labels.


Clients who have a food product they are producing on a small scale, looking to scale up or established companies looking to develop new products or processes. Goals may be to identify the most suitable production process and equipment or the latest cutting edge equipment or processes.

Colorful food in jars


Clients looking to conduct research and contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding food science, process development, and robust production, with the goal to provide a reliable answer to a specific question.

Man stirs melted chocolate


Clients who may have a concept, idea, or already a prototype for a new food product but require expertise in product development and food safety. Goals may be to create a reproducible process or to optimize the texture, appearance, color, taste, or shelf-life of their product.

Explore our Facilities