The conference will feature aquaculture experts with Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and Ohio State University South Centers as well as other industry professionals.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. OSU South Centers is also a part of the college.
The focus of the conference is to help enhance aquaculture enterprise profitability, said Christie Welch, director of the OSU South Centers' Ohio Cooperative Development Center and farmers market program.
“OSU South Centers staff members will be sharing their expertise in areas ranging from business planning and direct marketing to aquaponics,” she said.
In addition to featuring an aquaculture and aquaponics trade show, nationally recognized seafood experts John Ewart and Doris Hicks of the Delaware Sea Grant Program will also speak during the event, said Bill Lynch, president of the Ohio Aquaculture Association.
“Their discussion will focus on the U.S. seafood and aquaculture industry situation and outlook, seafood safety, benefits and risks of seafood, and aquaculture products in the diet,” Lynch said. “They will also discuss efforts to communicate the positive message about seafood and aquaculture issues.”
Other topics to be discussed include:
- Direct Marketing and Pricing for Profit.
- Using Market Maker Demographics.
- Assessing the Market.
- Crops, Bed Materials, and Growing Media for Aquaponics.
- Advantages and Limitations of Cooperatives in New and Emerging Industries.
- Successful Business Planning and Financing an Aquaculture Operation.
The conference will also feature a keynote speech by Laura Tiu, specialist in marine education, fisheries, and aquaculture for the University of Florida Extension, Welch said. Before she took her current position, Tiu was the aquaculture specialist for OSU Extension.
The conference will be held at the Quest Conference Center, 8405 Pulsar Place, on the north side of Columbus.
The event runs from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 29 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 30.
Registration for the conference is $100 for OAA members and $150 for nonmembers.
After Jan. 15, registration is $125 for OAA members and $175 for nonmembers.
To register and for more information, go to ohioaquaculture.org/conference.