Progress 09/22/23 to 09/21/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences of the Aquaponic Bootcamp are 1) Limited resource, beginning and new aquaponic/aquaculture farmers in the Appalachia and North Central Region; 2) Next generation farmers -- young farmers or farm students and those desiring to become beginning farmers or ranchers; and 3) Other new farmers attempting to diversify their existing farming enterprises. Changes/Problems:A key team member has been on family and administrative leaves for a year, which has affected the progress of this project. We expect to compensate for the educational and training work by applying for a one-year no-cost extension. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two research assistants and 135 high school students were involved in this project in the aquaponics and aquaculture for training and professional development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We held seven facility and field tours showing and disseminating the aquaponics and aquaculture system information and technologies to aquaponic and aquaculture operators/farmers and communities of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the Goal 1, we will conduct one-year-long intensive classroom courses and hands-on practices to train limited resource new aquaponics farmers in the Appalachian region through Intensive training program. We will provide training and mentoring to additional limited resource new/beginning farmers in the Appalachia Region through access to Aquaponic Bootcamp Intensive modules, additional workshops, and bus tours of established aquaponic/aquaculture farms. We will also provide training and information through annual conferences, facility tours, individual and group counseling. For the Goal 2, we will deliver additional business and marketing workshop/trainings to new and beginning farmers through Aquaculture Bootcamp Intensive, Intermediate, Introductory program.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For the Objective 1-1, twelve monthly informative educational modules and materials were developed/modified in aquaponics production and business management strategies based on the results from previous Aquaculture Bootcamp, new developments in aquaponics/aquaculture, and input of previous participants and farmers from Appalachia and North Central Region. Topics include: Aquaponics/Aquaculture Farm Planning (getting started in farming, site selection, acquiring land, and aquaponic project planning and startup); Principles of aquaponic/aquaculture, System Selection (RAS/aquaponics or ponds) and Integrating Aquaponics into Existing Agricultural or Fish Farms; Reproduction and Fry Production; Fish and Plant Selection for Aquaponics; Feeds/Feeding and Nutrition for Aquaponics/Aquaculture; Nitrification and Plant Nutrition for Aquaponics; Fingerling Procurement and Stocking to RAS/Aquaponics or Pond Systems; Water Quality Dynamics and Management for Aquaponics; Principles of Biofiltration and Aquaponics; Fish Health and Integrated Disease and Pest Management; Harvesting for Aquaponics, and Processing for Aquaponics/Aquaculture. Each module was designed to coincide with seasonal activities on a typical aquaponic/aquaculture farm so that participatory hands-on training events can simultaneously occur each month. For the Objective 1-2 and 3, two aquaponic systems were built in greenhouses for the hands-on practice and two hands-on training projects were designed in larvae/fingerling production and food fish/plant production in aquaponics systems for new and beginning farmers. We have conducted a classroom workshop and co-held two hands-on workshops to train new and next generation farmers, and students desiring to become beginning farmers or ranchers. For the Objective 1-4, we conducted 7 aquaponic/aquaculture field and facility tours and trained/educated ~200 aquaculture and aquaponic farmers and potential operators in aquaponic and aquaculture systems and techniques. We also provided training and information in aquaponics and aquaculture to ~30 aquaponics/aquaculture new and potential farmers through one-on-one counseling services. In addition, we shared and disseminated aquaponic and aquaculture information to ~60 new and beginning farmers through meetings and conferences. For Objective 1-4, a Aquaponic Bootcamp website with all the Aquaculture/Aquaponic Bootcamp resources were developed and more than 500 additional new and beginning farmers were trained and mentored through Aquaponic Bootcamp Introductory program and Aquaponic Bootcamp website resources. For the Objective 2, twelve monthly modules in aquaculture/aquaponic business and marketing strategies were refined/modified based on the results of previous aquaculture bootcamp in conjunction with Objective 1-1.

Publications