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CHESTER AGRICULTURAL CENTER INC
CHESTER, NY · EIN 832899262 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE K99 · Food, Agriculture & Nutrition · Small ($100K-$1M) · chesteragcenter.org
revenue
$278K
expenses
$721K
net assets
$3.3M
employees
31
program ratio
72%
mission · from form 990

TO HELP GROW AND PROVIDE AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM WHERE LAND AND HOUSING IS AFFORDABLE TO DIVERSE, ASPIRING FARMERS AND FARM WORKERS, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND MARGINALIZED CONSTITUENCIES, WHERE FOOD IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AND WHERE UNIQUE SOILS AND THE ECOSYSTEM ARE STEWARDED AND RESPECTED.

profile · synthesized from sources

Chester Agricultural Center Inc. supports an equitable and inclusive regional food system by providing affordable farmland and infrastructure to aspiring farmers, particularly those from underrepresented communities. It operates retail farm grocery stores with a multi-tier pricing model to improve food access for low-income families and promotes regenerative organic farming practices on 270 acres of Black Dirt soil in Orange County, NY. The organization also fosters community through shared resources, education, and food sovereignty initiatives.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $174K
    THE ORGANIZATION OPERATES TWO RETAIL FARM GROCERY STORES. BOTH SELL CROPS AND OTHER PRODUCE PRODUCED BY ITS OWN TENANT FARMERS AS WELL AS OTHER LOCAL FARMS. SALES ARE MADE USING A MULTI-TIER PRICE MODEL IN ORDER TO ASSIST LOW INCOME FAMILIES BY OFFERING THEM PRODUCE AT LOWER PRICES. BOTH STORES AIM TO PROMOTE RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN THE FOOD SYSTEM AS WELL AS ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AND HELP BUILD FOOD SOVEREIGNITY. DURING THE YEAR, OVER 1,000 INDIVIDUALS/FAMILIES WERE SERVED OF WHICH MORE THAN 50% WERE EITHER SEVERELY INCOME CONSTRAINED OR FACING SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.
  2. #2 $96K
    ENGAGE IN WORKSHOPS AND A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM TO HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES TO HAVE IMPROVED ACCESS TO NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICES PROGRAMS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN CONSERVATION.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Community Garden
Manages the E.J. Szulwach Community Garden with 100 sq ft plots available for $30/year ($25 for seniors/disabled), promoting community engagement and local food production
Farm Grocery Stores
Operates two retail farm grocery stores using a multi-tier pricing model to make fresh, locally grown produce accessible to low-income families while supporting regional farmers
Farmer Training and Mentorship
Offers workshops and mentorship programs for historically underserved and socially disadvantaged communities to improve access to conservation services and farming careers
Land Lease Program
Provides affordable long-term leases on 270 acres of Black Dirt farmland to beginning organic and biodynamic farmers, along with access to shared infrastructure such as greenhouses, cold storage, and wash/pack facilities
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Agricultural Grantmaking and Funding Programs 2 activities
    • Fiscal sponsorship for regenerative agriculture and food sovereignty initiatives
      Provides fiscal sponsorship for The Institute of Mindful Agriculture (IMA), supporting its work in regenerative agriculture, food sovereignty, and spiritual ecology.
    • Funding support for beginning farmers
      Provides grant funding to beginning farmers through programs including La Beca Braiding Seeds, Mutual Aid Funds, and Climate Emergencies Funds, disbursing over $1.55 million in the past three years.
  • Language Access Services 1 activity
    • Bilingual farmer support and technical assistance
      Delivers daily operations and technical assistance in both Spanish and English, employing bilingual staff to serve diverse farming communities.
  • Affordable Housing Development and Management 1 activity
    • Collaborative development of affordable, carbon-neutral housing for farmers
      Works with partners to develop a carbon-neutral, affordable housing model for farmers and farm workers.
  • Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
    • Community events and cultural programming
      Hosts community events including skill-building workshops, vegan brunches, group hikes, and celebrations focused on learning, agricultural professional development, and the history and culture of the Black diaspora.
  • Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 1 activity
    • Community garden operation
      Operates the E.J. Szulwach Community Garden on 0.25 acres of Black Dirt soil, offering plots of 100 square feet for $30 per year ($25 for seniors and disabled individuals), with members allowed to lease up to 8 plots annually from March 1 to January 31.
  • Smallholder Agricultural Development 1 activity
    • Farmland access and lease program for beginning farmers
      Provides long-term, secure tenure and leased infrastructure space to early-stage farmers on Black Dirt muckland soils; supports over 34 agricultural businesses through 18 long-term leases totaling 210 acres. Requires organic and regenerative farming practices across all tenant farms.
  • Nonprofit-Operated Cafés and Social Enterprises 1 activity
    • Food access and affordability retail operations
      Operates two retail farm grocery stores using a multi-tier pricing model to increase affordability for low-income families; served over 1,000 individuals and families in the year, more than half of whom were severely income-constrained or facing financial hardship.
  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
    • Workforce development and conservation training for underserved communities
      Conducts workshops and mentorship programs aimed at improving access to natural resources conservation services and career opportunities in conservation for historically underserved and socially disadvantaged communities.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Production and distribution of organic farm products
      Supports multiple organic farms producing vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruits, halal meat, organic eggs, and specialty crops such as East Asian heritage varieties and beetroot products; distributes through farmers markets, wholesale outlets, restaurants, and nationwide sales.
    • Research-informed sustainable land management
      Manages farmland using organic practices that result in approximately half the annual nitrate leaching losses compared to conventionally farmed soils, based on a 12-year study.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$278K
Contributions & grants$635K229%
Program service revenue$-133K-48%
Investment income$730%
Other revenue$-224K
expenses
Total expenses$721K
Program expenses72%
Admin / overhead25%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$353K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.50M
Cash$459K
Investments$2.62M
Liabilities$245K
Net assets$3.25M
Liquid reserves51.2 mo
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue -80.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
SARA KATZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $110K
LUCINDA POINDEXTER RESIGNED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $3K
board members · 5
  • BEATRICE STERN — PRESIDENT
  • GABRIELA PEREYRA — BOARD MEMBER
  • JIM DELAUNE RESIGNED — TREASURER
  • KAREN WASHINGTON — BOARD MEMBER
  • KRISTY APOSTOLIDES — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 14

Who they work with

  • Black Urban Growers Partner — Karen Washington co-founded this organization, which aligns with the Chester Agricultural Center’s mission and suggests a network-level partnership in urban and rural farming advocacy.
  • Chester Agricultural Center Partner — Rented 1 acre of land for farm operations.
  • Cornell Gleaning Program Partner — Collaborates on food access and gleaning initiatives to support community food sovereignty.
  • E. J. Szulwach Government — Former resident and land donor after whom the community garden is named
  • Flower Moon Farm Partner — Leases farmland from Chester Agricultural Center to operate a diversified flower, herb, and vegetable farm with a U-Pick component.
  • Hudson Valley Farm Hub Partner — Sara Katz developed training programs at this organization, indicating a prior professional collaboration in agricultural training.
  • Hudson Valley community Partner — Collaborates with farmers, farm employees, and the Hudson Valley community to build shared understanding and new relationships around food systems.
  • NYC Farmers Markets Partner — Farm sells products at NYC Farmers Markets.
  • New York Botanical Garden Partner — Sara Katz developed training programs at this organization, indicating a professional collaboration in agricultural education.
  • Ralph E. Ogden Foundation Funder — Presided over by board member Beatrice Stern, suggesting a funding or grantmaking relationship with the Chester Agricultural Center.
  • Rise & Root Farm Partner — Co-owned by board member Karen Washington, indicating a leadership-level connection between the farm and the organization.
  • THE INSTITUTE OF MINDFUL AGRICULTURE Partner — Fiscal sponsorship relationship; CHESTER AGRICULTURAL CENTER INC serves as fiscal sponsor for IMA's programs in regenerative agriculture, food sovereignty, and spiritual ecology.
  • USDA Government — Follows USDA organic standards and participates in USDA organic surveys.
  • partners Partner — Collaborates with partners to develop a carbon-neutral, affordable housing model for farmers and farm workers.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Based Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration
    methodology: collaborative_farming_community
    By co-locating farmers in a shared agricultural community and facilitating dialogue, mentorship, and networking, the organization enhances farmer resilience and innovation because peer learning and collaborative problem-solving lead to stronger, more adaptive farming practices.
  • Equity-Centered Agricultural Development with Pathways to Ownership
    methodology: equity-centered_agricultural_development
    By prioritizing support for women, BIPOC, and low-income farmers and creating worker-to-owner pathways, the organization advances racial and economic justice in the food system because structural inequities in land ownership and labor are directly addressed through inclusive development models and cooperative ownership structures.
  • Farmland Access with Shared Infrastructure
    methodology: farmland_access_with_shared_infrastructure
    By providing long-term, secure farmland tenure and shared infrastructure, the organization enables early-stage farmers to establish viable farming operations because access to land and resources is a primary barrier to entry in agriculture.
  • Language and Cultural Justice in Farmer and Community Engagement
    methodology: cultural_inclusion_multilingual_engagement
    By integrating bilingual access, multilingual programming, and cultural reclamation through experiential education, the organization fosters inclusive participation and empowerment among historically marginalized communities because linguistic accessibility and cultural relevance increase engagement, trust, and collective agency.
  • Regenerative Agriculture for Soil and Ecosystem Health
    methodology: regenerative_agriculture_for_soil_stewardship
    By using regenerative, organic, and biodynamic farming practices that prioritize soil biodiversity, reduced tillage, habitat conservation, and ecological pest management, the organization produces healthier ecosystems and more sustainable farms because these practices restore and maintain agroecological balance.