New York Farm Viability Institute Inc
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc. is a Form 990 (a public charity) based in Syracuse, New York. It is a nonprofit grantmaking organization that funds agricultural research, education, and on-farm projects intended to improve the economic viability of New York farms.
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc at a glance
In short: New York Farm Viability Institute Inc gave $1.9M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $133K), mostly in New York. 54% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,860,528
- -5.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $132,895
- -18.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $38,546
- Total assets
- $4,895,045
- +538.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to New York Farm Viability Institute Inc
- How to Apply
-
The website describes a competitive proposal process and provides application guidance for producer and research applicants.
- Contact
Mailing address: 159 Dwight Park Circle 104, Syracuse, NY 13209
Phone: (315) 453-3823
Website: https://nyfvi.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from New York Farm Viability Institute Inc
Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program (NY): Track 1
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc
Amount
US $5,000 - US $50,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program (NY): Track 2
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc
Amount
US $50,001 - US $200,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
FVI Research and Education Grant
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc
Amount
US $15,000 - US $125,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who New York Farm Viability Institute Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cornell University ($1.3M). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 56 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Institute states that its mission and grant programs serve New York farms and agriculture. In filing year 2025, 93% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in New York; the reported shares for Texas, Illinois, and New Jersey were 3%, 3%, and 2%, respectively.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is New York Farm Viability Institute Inc open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $44K; repeat grants $259K. How we count
Medians: $29K first-time, $42K repeat.
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $489K (2023) to $2.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Enhancing Farm Productivity and Profitability Through Various Projects. | $1,346,491 |
| Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai New York, NY | Using uv-c light to control insects and disease in vegetables. | $114,189 |
| CCE Tompkins County Ithaca, NY | Facilitating hazelnut and chestnut through identification of improved genetic materials and best managment practices. | $63,679 |
| Oak Tree Capital LLC Persistent Biocontrol Austin, TX | Use of persistent native nematodes to control insect pests. | $54,399 |
| Newtrient Rosemont, IL | Evaluating environmental and economic benefits of nitrogen conservation through the n2 applied technology. | $50,081 |
| Glynwood Center Inc Cold Spring, NY | Marketing NY Specialty Grains and Lentils in NYC. | $48,471 |
| Glynwood Center Inc Binghamton, NY | Topic Specific Dairy Profit Teams in Pasture Management. | $47,184 |
| NYS Berry Growers Association Sodus, NY | Berry Grower Education. | $29,908 |
| Evidn LLC Sea Girt, NJ | Studying the psycho-social aspects of farmer attitudes toward dairy herd health. | $29,016 |
| Scoped Inc Watkins Glen, NY | Providing ny farmers with a diversifed revenue stream through additional chikpea and lupini trials to determine optimum growing conditions and yields. | $21,796 |
Ready to take the next step with New York Farm Viability Institute Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,895,045 | $2,518,570 | $2,481,071 | $1,860,528 | 14 | $12,395 |
| 2024 | $766,506 | $2,929,828 | $2,564,796 | $1,961,572 | 12 | $22,494 |
| 2023 | $413,462 | $700,090 | $949,970 | $488,818 | 7 | $7,548 |
| 2022 | $622,673 | $2,093,684 | $2,327,866 | $1,768,563 | 14 | $4,348 |
| 2021 | $975,535 | $808,105 | $1,586,931 | $1,107,698 | 9 | $1,189 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Institute’s mission is to help New York farmers become more profitable and improve the long-term economic viability and sustainability of the state’s farms, food system, and communities. Its stated focus includes applied research, education, information transfer, technology adoption, business planning, and market analysis.
Its FVI Grant Program supports research and education projects addressing practical farm challenges. The Institute identifies priorities including improving operating practices, fostering industry innovation, incubating new ideas, improving routes to market and marketing, and strengthening human capital in agriculture. Its grantmaking spans commodity areas and farm sizes and production types.
The Institute also administers producer grant programs, including the New York State Beginning Farmer and NYS Grown & Certified programs. Its website describes producer grants as supporting on-farm improvements, business innovation, new production or marketing strategies, value-added products, and farm management.
Among its 2025 grantees, Cornell University received support for projects to improve farm productivity and profitability. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai received support for research on using UV-C light to control vegetable insects and disease; the school describes its own mission as advancing science, medicine, and health care delivery. Glynwood Center, which received support for marketing New York specialty grains and lentils, describes its mission as cultivating just and resilient regional food systems. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the Institute’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Institute reported 14 grants totaling $1,860,528. Grant sizes ranged from $10,744 to $1,346,491, with a median of $38,546. The largest grant was $1,346,491 to Cornell University for projects to enhance farm productivity and profitability. Other notable grants included $114,189 to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for vegetable pest and disease research, $63,679 to CCE Tompkins County for hazelnut and chestnut work, and $54,399 to Oak Tree Capital LLC Persistent Biocontrol for research on native nematodes to control insect pests.
The Institute’s website describes the FVI program as a competitive research and education program that awards roughly $1.5 million per cycle, with individual project awards typically ranging from $15,000 to $125,000. Project periods may run from six months to two years. Farmer review panels evaluate proposals and make recommendations, and the Institute’s farmer-led board makes final funding decisions. The website’s application guidance says producer applicants typically need to provide a project narrative, budget, financial-match documentation, and farm business information; some programs may also require support letters, quotes or cost estimates, and a project timeline. Producer applicants must typically operate a New York farm or agricultural business, show how the project benefits farm viability, and provide a match if the program requires one.
The Institute’s program pages describe the New York State USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program as a competitive program it manages with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The source describes its 2023 request for proposals, which is a past cycle. The NYS Grown & Certified Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Development program requires a 10% financial match for both tracks; in-kind costs are not permitted. The source identifies its infrastructure and technology opportunity as currently open but provides no deadline.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Aaron Allen as chair; Pauline Drexler as vice chair; John Martini as secretary/treasurer; and Dave Ryan, Tim Dressel, Brian Reeves, Tony Lapierre, Karyn Agle Sullivan, Chelsea Van Acker, and Josh Jurs as directors.
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc is led by Aaron Ristow, Executive Director on the 2025 filing; 2 of 13 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Aaron Ristow
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$7K (2025)
Aaron Allen
Chair
Director → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Reeves
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dave Ryan
Director
Director → Chair, 2022
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim Dressel
Director
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chelsea Van Acker
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karyn Agle Sullivan
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tony Lapierre
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Shirley
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Josh Jurs
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Grusenmeyer
Former Executive Director
Executive Director → Former Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$118K (2021) → $133K (2025)
Pauline Drexler
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Martini
Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Jill Mackenzie (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Mary Jeanne Packer (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Matthew Eckhardt (2024) — Director
- Former: Chris Kelder (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Matt Eckhardt (2023) — Director
- Former: Mike Jordan (2021–2022) — Chair
- Former: Rob Noble (2021–2022) — Vice Chair
- Former: Emmaline Long (2021) — Director
- Former: Jim Fravil (2021) — Secretary & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $133K, to David Grusenmeyer (Former Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about New York Farm Viability Institute Inc
How much does New York Farm Viability Institute Inc give each year?
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc gave $1.9M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 12 grants.
What is New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's typical grant size?
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's median grant in 2025 was $38,546, and its average grant was $132,895, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from New York Farm Viability Institute Inc that year got $44K on average.
Where does New York Farm Viability Institute Inc give grants?
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc gives mostly in New York: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ithaca, NY (2 grants).
Does New York Farm Viability Institute Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's largest grantees?
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Cornell University ($1,346,491), Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai ($114,189) and Glynwood Center Inc ($95,655 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is New York Farm Viability Institute Inc?
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc reported $4.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.5M.
What does New York Farm Viability Institute Inc fund?
The Institute’s mission is to help New York farmers become more profitable and improve the long-term economic viability and sustainability of the state’s farms, food system, and communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from New York Farm Viability Institute Inc?
The website describes a competitive proposal process and provides application guidance for producer and research applicants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's EIN?
New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4295807. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 29, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). New York Farm Viability Institute Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/new-york-farm-viability-institute-inc-morg_9ae876d2444847c69f4a02c2d29076b0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134295807_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{New York Farm Viability Institute Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/new-york-farm-viability-institute-inc-morg_9ae876d2444847c69f4a02c2d29076b0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from New York Farm Viability Institute Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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