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The Center |
Staff
Members Membership RSS Feeds CIFT Video Library News Archive Contact Us |
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The Center |
Staff
Members Membership RSS Feeds CIFT Video Library News Archive Contact Us |
Special Programs...
Our City in a GardenOur City in a Garden is an urban, Toledo-based system to produce, prepare, distribute, process, and preserve healthy food products in the community, and to accomplish these ends in a manner that stresses environmental sustainability.
CIFT MembershipSince 1995, CIFT has organized and managed a membership-based consortium of food industry companies, their suppliers, and academic institutions. The goal of the consortium is to enhance the economic viability of Ohio's food and agricultural sector through technology.
Energy & Environmental ManagementEnergy and environmental management initiatives can improve the bottom line for businesses through cost reduction and alternative revenue pathways, essentially enhancing market competitiveness.
Food SafetyThis page covers food safety issues ranging from safety recalls and safe food handling practices to regulatory guidelines.
Local InitiativesCIFT Local Initiatives include the Farm to School Program, Local Food Manufacturers Program, Agritourism and the Farm to Chef Program.
NOCKThe Agricultural Incubator Foundation's Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen (NOCK) is a nonprofit kitchen facility designed to assist entrepreneurial efforts and expand current food-related businesses by providing access to a commercially licensed kithchen.
Northwest Ohio Energy Crop CenterThe mission of the Northern Ohio Energy Crop Center is the identification and evaluation of opportunities to involve regional growers, processors and other entrepreneurs in biofuel production.
Northwest Ohio Green Products CenterThe Northwest Ohio Green Products Center is a collaborative effort among several partnering organizations to provide the resources, technical assistance and business expertise to regional entrepreneurs or established manufacturers who currently produce, or plan to produce, green or biobased products.
USDA-ARS Technology Transfer ProgramUSDA-ARS technology transfer provides a means for moving promising technologies discovered through federal and university research into the public arena where they are developed into marketable products. USDA-ARS accomplishes this by forming partnerships with universities and private sector businesses.
In the CIFT Spotlight...
CIFT 2008 Report to IndustryA report of CIFT's 2008 programs, projects and activities Hoop HousesA CIFT hoop house feasibility study that will determine what plants are appropriate to plant and when these plants will generate the greatest economic return. Ohio Federal Stimulus Bill WebsiteAn Ohio website where parties interested in federal stimulus dollars can submit ideas. Ohio MarketMakerAn interactive mapping system that locates businesses and markets of agricultural products in Ohio, providing an important link between producers and consumers. USDA Releases Beginning Farmers and Ranchers PublicationUSDA-ERS Economic Information Bulletin EIB-53 (32 pp, May 2009) draws on data from annual surveys and the Census of Agriculture to provide policymakers with a better understanding of beginning farmers and ranchers, including how they contribute to U.S. agricultural production. Vertical Hydroponic Growing SystemsA high density vertical growing system designed for non-traditional production locations. The system enables plants to grow in significantly smaller spaces and in varying ground covers from concrete to parking lots.CIFT Resources...
CIFT News ArchiveA repository of past CIFT news stories... CIFT RSS FeedsSubscribe to CIFT RSS feeds... CIFT Video LibraryA collection of CIFT event videos... Contact UsThe CIFT contact page with phone numbers, email addresses and directions... Privacy PolicyThe CIFT website privacy policy...Other Resources...
Current FDA RecallsThe Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has jurisdiction over recalls involving food and pet & farm animal feed. This page is a list of the latest FDA food recall notices. Current USDA RecallsThe Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspects and regulates meat, poultry products and eggs. This page is a list of the latest USDA food recall notices. FoodSafety.govFoodSafety.gov is your source for the latest news and information on food safety issues. Grants.govGrants.gov is your source to FIND and APPLY for federal government grants. Quick Reference Guide to Growth FinancingThis MEP guide provides information on general financing options, programs, and techniques available to small and medium-sized enterprises and companies pursuing growth oriented strategies.
Attention Nonprofits...
CIFT Agribusiness Services
CIFT provides the following services for agri-businesses:
CIFT serves as a clearinghouse of trusted information associated with the production of energy-producing crops. Such crops, suitable to local growing conditions, represent marketing and income enhancement opportunities for agribusinesses. Additional collaboration among industry and academia has resulted in an effort to establish the Energy Crop Study, where alternative crops will be examined for their potential to generate energy or renewable fuels.
CIFT also partners with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, as well as dairies, food processors, poultry operations, feed lots and others, to study the suitability and feasibility of anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste products.
CIFT has joined with Clean Cities organizations and Clean Fuels Ohio to promote, educate and build awareness and usage of alternative fuels in northwest Ohio and across the state. Our staff works with processors, distributors, retail outlets, and users to incorporate renewable fuels into their operations.
Biodiesel and ethanol pose valuable alternatives to traditional fuel sources while supporting local production capacity. Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources containing no petroleum, and it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. This renewable fuel can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. It is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Additionally, ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel produced by fermenting and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple sugars. Ethanol is most commonly used to increase octane and improve the emissions quality of gasoline.
Traditional crops are driven by price – making operational efficiency and economies of scale critical to profitability. Specialty crops offer co-ops of producers an opportunity to produce higher value crops on a smaller scale.
CIFT's expert network of business advisors and food-based businesses utilizes industry knowledge and current technology to explore new methods for generating revenue for producers. Concepts are evaluated based on potential for near-term success, low barriers to market entry, specific market potential for products, and tangible benefits such as jobs created and income generated. CIFT conducts feasibility studies and market research on concepts that most closely demonstrate these qualities.
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CIFT, 5555 Airport Highway,
Ste 100, Toledo, Ohio 43615-7320
419.535.6000 877.668.3472 (toll-free) 419.531.8465 (fax) © 1995 - 2009 EISC, Inc. |