Some of you may have noticed a new feature of localfoodsystems.org, a business case template and business cluster map (right side of the screen, under “Connect”).  These new tools focus on the real purpose of this site.   It’s about planning and establishing the locally owned business ecosystems at the heart of a local economy.

Many of you have been interested in the maps that are being generated as a result of our project for the Fund for Our Economic Future, "Catalyzing and Agricultural and Bioscience Industry Cluster in Northeast Ohio".  The maps are currently being posted on the Agroecosystems Management Program website at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster.

 Pragmatics of knowledge transfer for business and business cluster development:

1. What does the curriculum look like?

2. How does it work?

3. What are some example topics? 

During the past two months, over 100 business ideas and business cases were generated by participants in the current cycle of Ag-Bio Cluster stakeholder sessions underway in Northeast Ohio.  That number will easily double by the end of June when the first phase in the Fund For Economic Future (FFEF) initiative to advance the Ag-Bio business case portfolio concludes.