By Linda McGurk Indiana Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Targeting farmers wanting to diversify and entrepreneurs who are looking for investment opportunities, the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and Purdue University extension will offer six summer workshops on aquaculture. “Our primary audience will likely be farmers, since they already have the knowledge of the farming lifestyle. They know it’s a 24-hours-a-day commitment,” said Steven Hart, ISA’s director of aquaculture. “Farmers who are looking to diversify should take a good look at it. We think there’s room for significant profit.” There are three different workshops to choose from, all focusing on a specific fish farming system: pond culture, cage culture or recirculating culture. Each workshop consists of four sessions, which cover everything from fish species and production to marketing and permitting procedures. The free workshops also include a DVD featuring different production systems. “The goal is to give people as complete of a package as possible,” Hart said. Speakers include Hart, representatives from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and aquaculture specialists from Purdue. Attendees may also opt to visit a local fish farm to see production firsthand. Register online at www.indianafishfarming.com or call the ISA at 800-735-0195. Workshop schedule July 8 Miami County – Cage Culture Miami County Community Building 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST July 11 La Porte County – Recirculating Culture Salem Chapel (United Methodist Church) 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CST July 17 Floyd County – Pond Culture Indiana University Southeast 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST July 22 Franklin County – Recirculating Culture Franklin County Government Center 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST Aug. 1 Posey County – Cage Culture Poseyville Community Center 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CST Aug. 6 Morgan County – Pond Culture Morgan County Extension Offices 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST |