From my research and networking with others interested  in Community Kitchens  in Ohio, there is currently no facility that does small-scale low-acid food canning in the state.  This is largely due to the regulatory burden imposed by the FDA on commercial low-acid canning.  In the short term it may be worth exploring other alternative processing such as freezing and drying. However as a long term goal, I believe a community cannery that can process low-acid and meat on a small scale for local farmers and entrepreneurs is an important component of a viable local food system.  More on the  benefits of such a local food processing facility.

Resources for further Research:

Canning Basics Fact Sheet:  What are low-acid, high-acid and acidified foods? Learn about the canning methods and requirements with this helpful fact sheet.

Professional standards of low-acid canning require submission of a number of documents to the FDA. A scheduled process for time, temperature, acidity, water activity, etc. must be established for each food recipe in each container size. Further procedures must also be developed for quality control and so forth.  The process must be determined by a “qualified process authority”. This is usually a research facility and the cost can be significant. This why there are so few small scale canning facilities that do low-acid foods.

Defining a Process Authority By Rick Falkenberg Ph.D. Food Safety and Process Technology

Process Authority List Published in 2003:  I know at least the OSU listing is still valid as of 2/2009.

FDA Requirements for Establishment Registration, Thermal Process Filing, and Good Manufacturing Practice for Low-Acid Canned Foods and Acidified Foods. A compilation of Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 108, 113, and 114

A good overview of canning principles for low-acid foods from a scientific perspective.  This publication by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is written for fish canning (a low-acid food).

Equipment Suppliers and Consultants:

Embarcadero Home Cannery:  Offering Cannery consulting and equipment. Member of the Association of Food and Drug Officials and HACCP Certified Licensed Low Acid Food Cannery, State of California

Dixie Canner:  Provider of can packaging and processing equipment, their  site offers pricing and some floor plan designs for small scale canning facilities.

Existing Community Canneries or Shared Commercial Kitchens:

AceNetworks.org : top notch Incubator facility in SE Ohio. Does not currently do low-acid foods.

The Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen (NOCK) :At this time, the facility cannot accommodate products with meat or alcohol. No low-acid canning.

Pickyourown.org maintains a state-by-state list of community kitchen facilities with canning available.  Note that many of these do not process low-acid foods and most do not handle products containing meat.

A feasibility study for a similar facility with a larger scope in Washington state can be perused here: food-incubator-study pdf 209 pages.

Two articles in the New York Small Scale Food Procesor Association Newsletter about cannery and shared-use kitchen on pages 7 and 8.