Mike Thielke, Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC) Executive Director, today announced the members of the Advisory Board that will work with the newly-established
Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC), a new program of ESEC’s F3 Tech initiative.
“We are proud that CAIC has attracted the attention and interest of such a distinguished and accomplished group of people involved in Maryland and Delaware’s agricultural industry,” Thielke said. “I look forward to working with them to accomplish CAIC’s long-term goal of creating a ‘national hub’ for developing innovation and new technologies in agriculture and aquaculture.”
The new Board members are Nikko Brady, Delaware Department of Agriculture; Charlotte Davis, Maryland Department of Agriculture; Holly Porter, Delmarva Poultry Industry; Andrew Rose, MidAtlantic Farm Credit; Lindsay Thompson, Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board; John Torres, Maryland Farm Bureau; Richard Wilkins, Delaware Farm Bureau; Donald Webster, Maryland Aquaculture Coordinating Council; Roxanne Wolf, Shore Gourmet; and Shelby Watson-Hampton, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Corporation.
CAIC was established in late 2020 by a two-year, $470,800 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. CAIC will allow the F3 Tech initiative to expand its focus on food technology, one of its three components – the other two focuses are farm (agtech) and fish (aquatech).
Thielke has scheduled an Advisory Board meeting for the first week in February to discuss implementation of CAIC’s programming that will focus on value-added producers – farmers and food businesses that turn commodities into products.
The Board also will plan for CAIC’s activities to establish the services, including mentorship services, that the Center will provide for its constituency.
“We will elevate the level of technical assistance that typically has been available to value-added producers,” Thielke said.
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