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Peer-To-Pier Fellowship Program The purpose of the Peer-To-Pier Fellowship Program, supported by an award from the National Sea Grant College Program and contributions from Oyster South, is to support peer-to-peer learning opportunities for oyster farmers in the southern US to attend industry conferences and shows, as well as visiting peers in other parts of the country to pursue learning opportunities. Funds may not be used to purchase seed or gear. Under this program, at least 8 awards of up to $1,000 each will be provided.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is responsible for the delivery of federal farm programs to help producers manage risks and recover from disasters. The Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program, or NAP, provides financial assistance to growers of non-insurable crops to protect them against natural disasters that result in crop losses. Learn about coverage levels for the 2019 crop year, application deadlines, and which counties cover oyster crops. The 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program, or WHIP, provides disaster relief to agricultural and aquacultural producers. This funding helps replace losses occurred during the 2017 hurricane season. Learn

To address the current needs and challenges facing the aquaculture industry, stakeholders and industry members have been invited to voice their opinions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Aquaculture National Program, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) use this information to prioritize and establish frameworks for aquaculture research and extension programs over the next five years. In 2013, shellfish priorities included domestication of oysters, reproduction, health tools, and production technology. A full list of the 2013 sessions can be found here. To continue the discussion, you are invited to participate in the 2018 online

To advance the nation’s first regional shellfish initiative, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission provided funding to the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. The Gulf of Mexico Shellfish Initiative (GoMexSI) team engaged a broad range of stakeholders including shellfish farmers, shellfish harvesters, environmental organizations, state and local management agencies, foundations, and others to identify strategies to be implemented in the future to ensure sustainable shellfish populations for current and future generations.

Natural triploids of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica have only been available for commercial use for the past 15-17 years elsewhere in the U.S., and not until 2014 in Florida. Despite the proof of concept in other coastal states, there is a need to understand whether the application of triploidy in the development of the emergent industry in Florida will result in increased production and economic gains. Florida represents the southernmost limit of natural distribution for the eastern oyster in the United States. In contrast to other states, Florida’s subtropical water temperatures result in a prolonged spawning season for oysters.

2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) to Aid Recovery in Rural Communities  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make disaster payments of up to $2.36 billion, as provided by Congress, to help America’s farmers and ranchers recover from hurricanes and wildfires. The funds are available as part of the new 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (2017 WHIP). Authorized by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, sign-up for the new program will begin no later than July 16.  USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will make these disaster payments to agricultural producers

To address increased interest in oyster aquaculture on Florida’s west coast, an applied research and demonstration project was conducted during 2016-17 to evaluate an oyster breeding process to local conditions. Diploid and triploid oysters were cultured at commercial farms in four counties and at the UF experimental site in Cedar Key, where replicated field trials allowed for documenting effects of several management practices on production. Workshops will be held on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory, 3618 Coastal Hwy 98, St. Teresa, FL; and Friday, May 4, 2018 at the FWC Senator George Kirkpatrick Marine

Peggy Fogarty from Keystone Development Center (KDC) will present a free webinar and case study on aquaculture cooperatives during March 29th at 12:00 pm eastern during the next edition of the Aquaculture Webinar Series co-produced and funded by the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center, the United States Aquaculture Society, and the National Aquaculture Association. Webinar Topic: New Jersey Shellfish growers were seeking ways for cooperatively expanding their markets. The farmers recognize that to increase their on-farm income, they need to increase the volume of what they produce, eliminate losses due to the perishable nature of food, minimize transportation and packaging

An In-Service Training entitled “Intermediate/Advanced Budgeting for Agriculture and Horticulture Enterprises in Florida” will be offered on April 5, 2018, 9am-4pm, via distance education (webinar). Email Alan Hodges at awhodges@ufl.edu and ask to register for IST (In-Service Training) #31487. Purpose and Objectives: Budgeting is an important business management technique to estimate costs of production per unit or unit area. Budgets are used by producers to plan production schedules and input purchase requirements, evaluate alternative production practices, assess business risks, determine enterprise mix and product pricing. Budgets are often required by lenders as part of a loan application, and are used