About

The CAIC Mission

The mission of the Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC) is to provide value-added food and fish producers in Maryland and Delaware with the advice, guidance, technology, and other resources that they need to scale their businesses to a viable level of success. This will ensure a secure living for producers and sufficient nutritious, local food that is readily available to consumers.

CAIC’S Goals

Immediate

CAIC’s primary goal is to promote the use of innovation and technology to solve real-world problems in the value-added food and fish sector. We will promote and provide access to technology and innovation that can be applied to achieve the goals of increasing yields for crops, livestock, and marine products; to improve the food and fish supply chain; to develop new products and processes; and to discover and develop new markets and revenue streams.

CAIC will provide a comprehensive set of services to value-added food and fish producers in Maryland and Delaware to help them scale their business and to ensure the business’s profitability and viability. Proposed services include guidance in navigating federal, state, and local laws and regulations; business formation and structure advice; marketing planning and execution services; financial and legal services; resources for product engineering; and access to the latest technology and innovative ideas that increase productivity and profitability for farming and fishing value-added producers.

Long-Range

CAIC’s long-range goal is to establish a national hub for innovations and technology in agriculture, aquaculture, and value-added products. This facility will have the resources necessary to develop and test prototypes of new products, processes, and technologies. This will result in increasing the numbers of new value-added products and companies, further securing the food supply and ensuring that working in agriculture and aquaculture will provide a secure living for farmers, fishermen, and their families. The access to the latest developments in technology and innovation coupled with a secure future will attract a younger generation of farmers, fishermen, and value-added producers and will ensure a constant and long-term dependable food supply.

Board Of Advisors

Roxanne Wolf
Shore Gourmet

Staff