
Kate McDonald Polakiewicz
Farm Business Management SpecialistCCE Erie County
21 South Grove Street
East Aurora, NY 14052
cell 716-640-0522
email Kate
Areas of Interest
Business planning, profitability, grants and finding funding, beginning farmer support
Kate is a production and extension systems specialist with 15 years of experience working in federal government, private sector, academic, and international settings. She comes to CCE from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) where she managed the Farmer-to Farmer program, a longstanding agricultural extension program that provided short-term technical assistance from US-based farmers to other farmer communities abroad. She also managed agricultural research awards in horticulture, agronomy, aquaculture, and in scaling new technologies. Before USAID, Kate worked on agricultural programs while living in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Her work in research and extension also brought her to lead education on soil fertility and plant pathology in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Kate holds a master's degree from the University of California, Davis, and lives with her young family in Amherst, NY.
Upcoming Events
NY Pork Producers - 2026 Producer Summit & Annual Meeting
March 13 - March 14, 2026
Hamilton, NY
Join NYPP for the 2026 Producer Summit, where producers of all sizes and production styles will explore marketing, branding, selling pork, and current consumer trends through practical sessions designed to help build demand, connect with customers, and add value to their operations.
Mid Atlantic Grain Conference
March 15 - March 16, 2026
We're excited to share that the 2026 Mid‐Atlantic Grain Fair & Grain Conference is coming March 15-16, 2026 in Pennsylvania! This two-day event brings together farmers, millers, bakers, brewers, distillers, researchers, and grain enthusiasts to learn, connect, and celebrate local grains. These events will be offered at two seperate locations.
Quality Wool Workshop
March 21, 2026
Alfred, NY
Please join us for a day of workshops and hands-on activities for shepherds, shearers, fiber artists, and interested community members -- learn how to produce quality fleece, process wool at-home, access markets for your wool, help your local shepherds, and strengthen our regional wool supply chain! Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension Allegany County in collaboration with Allegany Fresh Transport, Northeast Fiber Exchange (NEFX), Southern Tier Fiber Arts Guild, and Crooked Lane Farm. The workshop will be held at the Union University Church Community Center in Alfred, NY on Saturday, March 21st from 10 AM to 4 PM.
Announcements
No announcements at this time.






