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Virtual Info Session Funding Available for Shellfish FarmsApril 11, 20243:00 p.m Eligible shellfish farmers and businesses that were affected by Hurricane Idalia are able to receive funding to cover wages, clean up, recovery, and more. Please join us for an informational session to learn how CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion can offset the expense of restoring your operation – at no cost to you. Here’s what you’ll learn about: How disaster assistance programs can help you pay your workers How this funding can be used in clean up and recovery efforts Webinar link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89150261573Call-In Information: 1-386-347-5053; Meeting ID: 891 5026 1573

The 6th Annual Oyster South Symposium is being held on March 9-11, 2023, in Savannah, Georgia. Sponsored by Oyster South, Inc. (a non-profit dedicated to advancing oyster aquaculture in the southern US), this event brings together producers, gear suppliers, distributors, chefs, food writers, vendors, researchers, students, and managers from the southeast region to discuss pressing issues and relevant, practical research on oyster aquaculture. Registration is now open. Meeting fees are based on current membership and industry role. Current Oyster South paid members will receive heavily discounted registration! Don’t wait to buy tickets, as early bird prices will last until February

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will host a group meeting to assist growers with the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). FSA staff will be on site to assist with filling out ELAP applications and to answer any questions. Date & Time: December 1st, 12:00pm – 3:00pm EST Location: Estero Community Park, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero, FL 33928 Contact: USDA Farm Service Agency, Florida State Office, Savanna.Turner@usda.gov

This  workshop, hosted by Two Docks Shellfish and the Marine Biological Laboratory, will provide an overview of a recently funded Saltonstall-Kennedy award that is exploring methods for sustainable commercial co-cultivation of shellfish and seaweed in Florida. In addition to invited talks from experts in the field, the project team will update audience on current project objectives and engage participants in discussions about industry potential, regulatory hurdles and market challenges. See agenda. When: Thursday, November 17, 2022, 1:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time Where: This online workshop will be held on Zoom. Please register here for details. Or copy and paste

The US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), offers a variety of cost-share programs to improve on-farm conservation practices. To answer questions as to how these programs can benefit the aquaculture farming community, NRCS staff is hosting an informational webinar on November 16th (Wednesday) from 3:00pm – 4:00pm eastern time. NRCS staff will also address the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which has benefited shellfish growers in other states. Join the webinar here: Teams virtual meeting, no registration is needed. If the webinar link above doesn’t work, copy and paste into a browser this link on November 16th

Loss Adjustments Waived The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that loss adjustments for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) have been waived for growers impacted by Hurricane Ian. The waiver is not county specific, but grower specific. It is for growers in counties that have Presidential or Secretarial designations with crops where the entire unit acreage is destroyed or damaged to the extent the acreage will never be harvested. The counties where shellfish aquaculture occurs that have disaster designations are Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, St. Johns, and Volusia. Growers must notify USDA of their

Enhancing Marine Aquaculture in the Tropical U.S.: Methods for sustainable commercial co-cultivation of shellfish and seaweed in Florida Mark your calendars for an upcoming online workshop focused on the potential of seaweed production in Florida, to be held online via Zoom on Thursday, November 17, 2022. Are you interested in the potential for a seaweed market in Florida? Are you a regulator, buyer, grower, or researcher with an interest in this product for the southern US? Register today! What: A workshop to provide an overview of a recently funded Saltonstall-Kennedy award that is exploring methods for sustainable commercial co-cultivation of

Seaweed aquaculture is an emerging industry in the United States. Several states are actively cultivating seaweed at commercial or research/investigative scale. Potential benefits of this new industry include job creation, increased revenue, diversification of products, and less reliance on imports. Despite three decades of research into developing the framework for domestic seaweed aquaculture, there are challenges preventing the industry’s expansion. This presentation will provide a brief overview on how seaweed (specifically sugar kelp) is cultivated, current challenges affecting the industry’s expansion, current efforts to address these challenges and current and investigative uses for seaweed. Date: August 26, 2022 Time: 1:00