The COVID-19 pandemic still continues to provide a challenging atmosphere for many including those providing in-person educational programs and outreach. We will share how the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative (GLAC) utilized feedback from previous events and advisory groups to design and deliver Great Lakes Aquaculture Days (GLADs) in 2021.
GLADs 2021 featured virtual tours of six “successful” farms from different states in the Great Lakes region (Fig. 1). The GLAC events committee defined a successful farm as a farm which has been in business for longer than five years, is the sole source of income for the farmer, and continues to make a profit. To highlight the d iversity of farming success in the region, the events committee invited farms that utilized a variety of systems, species, and markets (Fig. 1). The events team then coordinated the production of a 20-30 minute farm tour video that was designed to show the viewer the inner workings of the farm. During GLADs 2021, the farm video was aired, followed by a 30 minute live interview, and question and answer session (not recorded) with the farm owner. GLADs 2021 had national and international reach with over 223 registered attendees from 31 U.S. states and 15 countries.
GLADs 2021 offered opportunities for Great Lakes’ farmers to open up their businesses to share their experiences and to discuss topics of interest pertaining to their successes and failures in aquaculture. Common themes that were discussed include: family owned and operated businesses, starting slowly and growing gradually, unique system designs, fish mortalities are inevitable, the importance of water quality, the critical importance of backup systems, and being adaptable moving forward. This presentation will expand on these themes by compiling and describing thoughts and discussions elicited during the virtual farm tours and live discussion events.