Chatham University
IN-27: Innovation D

CRAFT is an outgrowth of Chatham University's longstanding engagement with sustainable practices and ideas that was founded in early 2018. From the Falk School of Sustainability and Environment to the Food Studies program, CRAFT builds on education, outreach, and training to support products and knowledge building in our region. The team at CRAFT offers support, knowledge coordination, skills development, and visibility for collaborative projects that advance the social and economic health of our region through better food systems. We address questions such as:
-How can we create conditions that provide long term place-based benefits for people? -What transformations are possible for producers, consumers, citizens, and the places they inhabit?
-How can we remove barriers to skills and knowledge to create better opportunities for new workers in a better food economy?

Specific projects that have been taking place are listed below (visit https://www.craft.chatham.edu/projects-1/ for more information):

-Food and Agriculture Innovation Lab: bridges the gap between entrepreneurs or businesses with an idea for a product, menu, or culinary innovation and those ready to fully execute its production in a rental or incubator space. The lab hosts workshops, hands-on training, and product and business development services. It is a multidimensional approach for the growth and diversity of food businesses, specifically targeting food entrepreneurs, community members, and students before they enter the world of incubator, commissary, and commercial kitchens. A full lists of educational workshops can be found at https://www.craft.chatham.edu/events/.

-Product Development: CRAFT and Chatham University’s Food Studies program are currently partnering with Tomanetti Food Products and Weatherbury Farm (locally sourced grains from Weatherbury Farms) to create a hyper-local pizza. The group has previously collaborated with Wigle Whiskey to create whiskey products, and La Prima Espresso Co. to create a unique espresso blend all in a sustainable fashion.

-Mapping: The organization is working to create public maps that represent farmers" markets in PA, agriculture product, agriculture capacity, and food business capacity. The only map that has been finalized thus far is the Farmer"s Market Map and can be found at • http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=67487fbb886047b99774d9ea5836bbfd&extent=-80.9113,39.5561,-74.4898,42.4165. The other listed maps will be made public soon!

- Fundraising: Currently the organizations holds bread making workshops by local bakers in the area at a small fee to collect funds to construct the Eden Hall Bread Oven. A full list of workshops can be found here https://www.craft.chatham.edu/events/.