Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC)

What Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC) does

Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit initiative established in late 2020 under Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center's F3 Tech program and headquartered at 8737 Brooks Drive, Suite 101, Easton, Maryland. It was founded through a two-year $470,800 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support Delmarva farmers and value-added producers in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia through training, consulting, and capital access.

CAIC delivers a tiered curriculum spanning the agribusiness lifecycle: the free Producers Startup Program for idea-stage founders (covering market research and company formation), the free six-week Developing Successful Value-Added Products workshop for product development, and the six-month Producers Growth Program (second cohort opened October 2023) for scaling CPG-ready producers. These are supported by the AgriBiz Hub online platform (on-demand training, community features, and a directory of regional resources), the Farm Mentorship Program, Produce Safety Training aligned to GAP certification, Mini-Grants up to $5,000 for eligible producers, Business Services (feasibility studies, grant writing, and access to a $100,000 loan fund), a monthly newsletter, webinars, and a podcast. The roster of named alumni (e.g., Federal Brewing Company, Hope's Caramels, Tobacco Barn Distillery, Windtree Bee, Chew On This Jerky, Quarter Acre Farm, Croppers' Spirulina) confirms targeting of micro/SMB food entrepreneurs across the mid-Atlantic.

CAIC's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: the founding USDA grant anchors a mix of public funding streams (Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund, SERCAP, MARBIDCO), and programs are delivered free or at reduced cost. It partners with three Subject Matter Expert mentor companies (Grow and Fortify for regulation/licensing, Cureate for go-to-market, Kitchen Table Consultants for financial strategy) and operates with approximately seven employees under Executive Director Mike Thielke and Program Director Emiliano Espinosa. Revenue is not disclosed; total inflows almost certainly remain under $1M annually.

Name

Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC)

Legal name

Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center

Website

https://caic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CAIC is a Maryland-based non-profit supporting Delmarva farmers and value-added producers in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and D.C. through grant-funded training, consulting, mentorship, and capital access programs anchored by the AgriBiz Hub online platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Certification Gap Assessment & Readiness Consulting (AFAMALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Supply Chain, Logistics & Procurement Certifications (EDAAANAK)

Keywords

• Agricultural innovation support
• Value-added producer training
• Farm mentorship programs
• Produce safety education
• Agribusiness consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Easton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: CAIC is a non-profit organization funded primarily through a two-year $470,800 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with additional support from USDA, Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund, and SERCAP.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAIC is a non-profit organization that provides training, consulting, and capital access to support Delmarva farmers and value-added producers in growing their agribusinesses. Its deliverables span free startup and workshop programs, a six-month Producers Growth Program, an online AgriBiz Hub platform for on-demand learning, farm mentorship, produce safety training, mini-grants up to $5,000, and customized business services connecting producers to institutional buyers and lenders.

Product overview

CAIC offers a suite of programs and services supporting Delmarva agricultural entrepreneurs from ideation to scaling. The core offerings include the free Producers Startup Program (market research and company formation), the free six-week Developing Successful Value-Added Products workshop, and the six-month paid Producers Growth Program for scaling companies. These are complemented by the AgriBiz Hub online platform, Farm Mentorship Program, Produce Safety Training with GAP certification support, Mini-Grants up to $5,000, and Webinar Series. Business Services include feasibility studies, business/marketing plans, market research, grant writing, and access to a $100,000 revolving loan fund. CAIC also produces a podcast series highlighting producer stories and industry insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AgriBiz Hub: An on-demand training and networking platform exclusively for Delmarva farmers, value-added producers, and entrepreneurs offering interactive content, community features, and a directory of regional organizations and services.
• Producers Startup Program
• Developing Successful Value-Added Products
• Producers Growth Program
• Produce Safety Education

Products and services

• Producers Startup Program A free program for idea-stage entrepreneurs covering market research, business planning, and formal company establishment to build a foundation for agribusiness success.
• Developing Successful Value-Added Products A free six-week immersive workshop that teaches producers how to transform agricultural commodities and ideas into commercially viable products.
• Producers Growth Program A six-month intensive program providing growth-ready value-added producers and CPG entrepreneurs with knowledge, resources, and tools to scale their businesses through one-on-one advisor work, expert-taught classes, and hands-on assignments, supporting 8 companies per cohort.
• AgriBiz Hub An online on-demand training and networking platform for Delmarva farmers, value-added producers, and entrepreneurs featuring interactive course content, community collaboration features, and a comprehensive directory of regional organizations and services.
• Farm Mentorship Program A program connecting farmers and entrepreneurs with experienced mentors for guidance on business development and scaling.
• Produce Safety Training Free GAP-aligned workshops and individualized consultations for farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to help understand FSMA requirements and achieve GAP certification.
• Mini-Grants Grants up to $5,000 available for market research, customer acquisition, product development, and food safety classes for value-added producers with $20,000+ yearly revenue.
• Webinar Series Virtual presentations covering topics such as business planning, funding sources, regulations, marketing, and brand development for value-added producers.
• Business Services Customized business support including feasibility studies, business and marketing plans, market and financial research, grant writing, and access to loan funds up to $100,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 companies per cohort supported through Producers Growth Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESEC is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that manages CAIC. CAIC was established in late 2020 as a new program of ESEC's F3 Tech initiative to expand focus on food technology.
• Grow and FortifycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentor Company providing coaching sessions and workshops for CAIC participants, focusing on government regulation, licensing, packaging, labeling, zoning, and permitting procedures.
• CureatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentor Company offering strategic counsel on go-to-market strategies, market analysis, sales channels, distribution, and marketing for value-added food producers.
• Kitchen Table ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentor Company providing mentorship in profit analysis, benchmarking, forecasting, budgeting, fundraising, market strategy, and leadership development.
• Union KitchenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington D.C.-based Food Business Accelerator that accepted CAIC program graduate Federal Brewing Company into their scaling program.
• F3 TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESEC initiative focused on bringing technology solutions to the Farm, Fish, and Food industries, of which CAIC is a part.
• Cyberag Symposium PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners for cybersecurity symposium including Rantizo, Maryland Department of Commerce, MidAtlantic Farm Credit, Maryland Farm Bureau, and Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on farmland preservation and farmer viability with adjacent programming for value-added producers. Operates at broader national scale with overlapping agricultural sustainability and producer-support mission.
• Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR): National nonprofit research foundation funding food and agriculture innovation through public-private partnerships. Larger, federal-chartered funder with adjacent mission of advancing agricultural innovation and producer outcomes.
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): USDA-funded program offering grants, education, and publications for sustainable agriculture innovation. Adjacent to CAIC in delivering producer education and grantmaking in agricultural innovation.

Direct peers

• Hot Bread Kitchen: NYC-based nonprofit food business incubator providing training, mentorship, and market access for food entrepreneurs. Operates a comparable nonprofit-driven incubation model aimed at scaling food businesses.
• Kitchen Table Consultants: Philadelphia-based consulting firm providing coaching and operational support to food entrepreneurs. A CAIC Strategic Partner delivering SME advisory in profit analysis, benchmarking, fundraising, and leadership development.
• Union Kitchen: Washington D.C.-based food business accelerator that has accepted CAIC program graduates such as Federal Brewing Company. Operates a similar producer-support model focused on scaling food businesses in the Mid-Atlantic.
• La Cocina: San Francisco-based nonprofit food business incubator that supports entrepreneurs launching and growing food businesses. Closely mirrors CAIC's nonprofit-led training, mentoring, and capital-access approach for value-added food producers.
• Grow and Fortify: Maryland-based value-added agriculture consulting firm specializing in regulatory navigation, licensing, labeling, and permitting. A CAIC Strategic Partner providing compliance and certification-related advisory to producers in the same region.
• Cureate: Consumer packaged goods accelerator supporting food entrepreneurs with go-to-market strategy, distribution, and sales channel development. A CAIC Strategic Partner offering comparable programming for value-added producers.

Emerging players

• National Farm to School Network: National information and advocacy network supporting Farm-to-School programs that link farmers with K-12 school food procurement — directly overlapping with CAIC's institutional buyer linkage strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ChesapeakeAgInnovationCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/Chesapeake-Ag-Innovation-Center-107162205035760
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chesapeakeaginnovationcenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/chesapeakeaginnovationcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC)