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