ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GREATER EAST

EDGE is glad to be supported by the USDA through two grants:
Rural Business Development (received 2018) and Rural Economic Development Innovation (received 2019)!

What we do

EDGE develops work and entrepreneurial forces through adapting and proving models for
education, innovation, and incubation.

With a core in research and with active systems for feedback,
EDGE adapts education, innovation, and incubation models for site and population specific needs toward success.

VISION

Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) envisions vibrant land-based, tourist, creative, and trade sectors in the greater Eastern United States supported through a thriving work and entrepreneurial force.

core mission

EDGE curates and cultivates the greater East’s economic edge through education, entrepreneurship, and innovation in land-based (ag+) and creative industries, tourism, and the trades. EDGE provides essential regional coordination across counties and state borders to address cross-regional economic development, economic sector support, and the socioeconomic needs for economic sector upgrowth and resilience.

food & health

Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) also combats the many dilemmas accompanying food deserts including food access, food security, loss of heritage foodways and skills, and issues of nutrition and health.

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regional upgrowth

Multi-species Grazing Apprenticeship

In development, EDGE's multi-species grazing apprenticeship is a multi-year training program producing the necessary grassfed and pastured livestock and poultry managers and entrepreneurs essential for regional upgrowth in this rapidly expanding segment of US and international meat production and sales. It builds on our regional heritage as a pasture-based region and also builds soil and farmers for a robust sector of scale. Learn more at this link.

regional entrepreneurship

Land-Based Production Education

Leading with product development in livestock and pastured poultry, sustainable maple syrup, liquor production, and botanicals (in consideration), EDGE provides cottage and artisanal education and support for budding entrepreneurs in these and other land-based growth industries. The ultimate goal of EDGE's education program is to cultivate and steward entrepreneurs toward increasing their capacity for scale and sufficient family income. Once entrepreneurs reach a crossroads toward scale, EDGE assists with readiness for broad launch or for facilitating association with a producers cooperative.

removing barriers to success

Regional Collaborations

With deep knowledge of sustainable food and land-based production skills at its center, EDGE coordinates regional efforts in entrepreneurship as well as in addressing regional barriers to work- and entrepreneurial force development such as food deserts, food insecurity, health disparities, and gaps in civic, public, and private sector understanding of the macro potential for land-based industry of scale in our region. Follow this link for more information on our current collaborative projects.