Grab your (free) tickets! Registration is open for this year’s Producers Unveiled, scheduled for Wednesday, April 17. CAIC’s annual culminating event celebrates our extraordinary program attendees and alumni, allowing them to showcase their products and share their stories of success. It’s also a perfect opportunity......
14 March, 2024
Welcome to the first installment of our #AwesomeAlumni series, which will highlight some of the remarkable people who have participated in CAIC programs! For Delaware-based Hope’s Caramels, whose co-founder Brady Shuert was a member of the inaugural Producers Growth Program cohort in early 2023, the......
04 March, 2024
“New year, new you!” It’s a common refrain each time January 1 rolls around, and this year at CAIC, we’re celebrating the debut of our beautiful new logo. Designed and created by our social media manager (and graphic designer extraordinaire) Pam Foulke, with input from......
15 January, 2024
For Martin Proulx, the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s first-ever value-added agricultural specialist, the path to his current position began with a part-time job during college. “I don’t come into agriculture with the traditional background,” the Frostburg State University business and marketing graduate explains. As a......
16 October, 2023
Welcome to the first installment of “Producer Conversations” on the CAIC blog! In the coming months, this series will highlight all of the participants in the upcoming Producers Growth Program cohort. First up: Eric Bowlus, the founder of Chew On This Jerky. A family-owned and......
04 October, 2023
What if you could combat food waste and hunger at the same time? That’s one of the goals of the Maryland Food Bank’s Farm to Food Bank initiative. Started in 2011, the program sends volunteers to collect excess produce from local farms and distributes it......
15 September, 2023
About the Program The Producers Growth Program will provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to assess, plan, and execute a growth and scaling strategy for your business. At the start of the six-month program, you’ll be matched with an industry advisor who......
27 August, 2023
The USDA has recently opened their Value-Added Producers Grant. This grant helps value-added producers create new products, new marketing opportunities, and increased income. The planning grant can be used to pay a qualified consultant and get support in developing a business plan, marketing plan......
26 April, 2023
We have several new and exciting opportunities at the center. Recently, we added Produce Safety Trainings designed to help farmers understand the process and requirements for becoming GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certified, enabling them to sell their products to institutional buyers. Lyndsay Gilmour is the......
26 April, 2023
The Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center had an exciting month in March. We hosted our first Value-Added Producers Unveiled event at the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Eight of our Business Growth Program participants had an opportunity to share their scaling plans with the 46 attendees.......
06 April, 2023
CAIC Program Prepares Federalsburg Business for Next Step in Its Success EASTON, Md; February 21, 2023…The Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC) is pleased to announce that Gayle Galbraith – owner of the Federal Brewing Company of Federalsburg, Maryland – has been accepted into the......
02 March, 2023
5 Questions for Jill McCullough of Windtree Bee Windtree Bee is a family-owned apiary in north Baltimore County. Run by Jill McCullough and her husband Craig, who serves as the primary beekeeper, it is truly a family affair. Their two daughters, Haley and Ellie, pitch......
15 July, 2022
5 Questions for Retired Navy Rear Adm. Scott Sanders of Tobacco Barn Distillery Tobacco Barn Distillery, created by three longtime friends in 2014, is one of the rare “farm to bottle” distilleries that grows the corn it uses to produce authentic “singe batch” bourbon......
08 July, 2022
After several years of building their successful Sweet Gnome candy business, Tom and Tina Cropper wanted to add a healthier option to their sweets line. They developed a healthy and delicious granola, but they had an appetite for more. “After adding granola we still......
28 April, 2022
The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is seeking entrepreneurs to apply online for the 2023 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Now in its ninth year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers,......
21 March, 2022
Mini-Grants up to $5,000 are available for:
– Market Research and Validation of Target Market
– Customer Acquisition
– Product Development Initiatives
– Food Safety Classes
Eligibility
Value-added producers and companies with traction ($20,000 or more in yearly revenue) in Maryland and Delaware are eligible to apply for Mini-Grants. Participants may apply once for each of the categories. Applicants must demonstrate that they have a unique and differentiated product or service that incorporates an aspect of innovation or technology in its production, processing, distribution, or other element of the food supply system.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Award decisions will be made and funds will be available no later than three weeks following the receipt of a completed application.
Application Process
Applicants must submit Mini-Grant proposals by filling out the form at this link. Copy(ies) of quote(s), proposal(s), estimate(s), or any other supporting documents.
CAIC offers access to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who can offer authoritative advice based on their deep knowledge and experience in a specific area. See the ADVISORS page of this Web site to learn more about the SMEs who are available to CAIC participants.
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