Center for Food Innovation

Aug 07, 2025 12:00 PM
Bara Watts
Center for Food Innovation

A $300 Million Opportunity

NEO consumes $1.5 Billion in Produce annually but grows less than 5%. Increasing that volume to 20%, and $300million in jobs and capital would remain in-market. Learn how the Center for Food Innovation has developed a coalition of companies, funders, farmers and supporters to convert Northeast Ohio into the largest year-round Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) food production region in the country, including

  1. The GARDEN (where health grows), a 135-acre Controlled Environment Agriculture industry hub with a 20-acre CEA greenhouse, cold storage training and technology demonstration facilities. 

  2. Over 350+-acres of large-track, build-ready sites for farm installations

  3. A skilled workforce developed through a pathway to employment and farm ownership educational programs being designed with Lorain County Community College.