Bridging the gap between seafood producers and consumers is key to pushing the agenda of sustainability in the aquaculture industry. In this episode, hosts Brian Vinci and Mari-Len De Guzman speak with sustainable seafood advocate Jennifer Bushman about some of the practical and meaningful ways seafood producers can engage their consumers.

Guest: Jennifer Bushman, sustainable seafood advocate and educator

Feeds are a critical component of any RAS production environment – it can make or break the health of both fish and systems. This episode provides a variety of perspectives when it comes to fish feeds in closed containment, land-based aquaculture. Co-hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci hash out the details of diets made for RAS.

Guests:

John Ng, president, Hudson Valley Fish Farm

Kim Schøn Ekmann, senior product developer, BioMar

George Nardi, VP of aquaculture services, Innovasea

Featuring the tech brains behind the innovative startup ReelData, this episode discusses the various applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning to aquaculture, particularly in land-based farming. ReelData CEO Mathew Zimola and CTO Hossein Salimian are the guests for this high-tech conversation.

RAS Talk hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci talk about the year that was and the year ahead. From COVID-19 and RAS milestones to trends in sustainable food production systems and technologies, this podcast episode provides a rundown on the most important developments in 2020 and what to look forward to in 2021.

In this RAS Talk episode hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci talk about the various aspects of investing in RAS. It’s an engaging discussion about investors’ perspectives in RAS technology and land-based aquaculture, the risks and the opportunities as well as their outlook on the sector.

Guests:

Maggie Fried, Head of the Oceans and Aquaculture Investor Consortium, CREO Syndicate

Frank van Roest, Investment Director, Aqua Spark

RAS engineering and design specialist Marc Sorensen takes us through the history and evolution of RAS in aquaculture. Co-host Brian Vinci also provides his insights on the beginnings of RAS technology. In this episode, we get into the technical details of the why, the how, as well as the current and emerging challenges involved in designing and operating a recirculating aquaculture system.

Guest: Marc Sorensen, president, Sorensen Engineering Ltd.

It started out as a small RAS operation in his home basement, today founder Eric Pedersen’s Ideal Fish is successfully producing Branzino for the U.S. domestic market. We talk to Pedersen and Ideal Fish’s sales and marketing director James MacKnight about the company’s journey, its innovative strategies to reach the market, and its quest to educate the consumers about RAS-grown fish.

Guests:

Eric Pedersen, president and CEO, Ideal Fish

James MacKnight, sales and marketing director, Ideal Fish

Women account for 70 percent of the world’s seafood workers. However, many of them work in entry level, low-paying jobs and very few are in leadership roles. Is the industry paying enough attention to diversity in the aquaculture industry? Is gender diversity playing a factor into the design of RAS facilities? What resources exist for women in aquaculture for skills development and training that will allow them to move into leadership roles? These questions and more are discussed in this episode of RAS Talk.

Guest co-host: Anna DiCocco, fish culture technician, Freshwater Institute

Guests: Astrid Buran Holan, head of innovation, land-based, ScaleAQ; and Christi Dimon, farm operator, Bluehouse Miami, Atlantic Sapphire

The aquaculture industry continues to face challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. From social distancing protocols to mandatory work-from-home policies, how are RAS producers managing the day-to-day farm operations in this new norm? This episode is a discussion on Covid-19 and the impact it’s having on RAS operations, with hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci, and guests from New York-based Hudson Valley Fish Farms: John Ng, CEO, and Brittany Peachey, aquaculture operations manager.

As RAS operations across the world ramp up, it is increasingly important to effectively address off-flavour issues in RAS-grown fish. The research is available for effective mitigation measures and many RAS producers are successfully implementing these recommendations. Justin Henry, director of aquaculture at Habitat Life, and John Davidson, research scientist at the Freshwater Institute, discuss some best practices in mitigating off-flavours.

Guests:

Justin Henry, director of aquaculture, Habitat Life

John Davidson, research scientist, Freshwater Institute

Podcasting from Honolulu, Hawaii, host Mari-Len De Guzman attended the Aquaculture America conference where she caught up with Kimberley Player, director of research at Portland, Oregon-based Equilibrium Capital. The company manages sustainability-driven real asset investment strategies and products for institutional investors. The potential of RAS for sustainability and financial gains is making it an appealing proposition for investors. Mari-Len chatted with Kimberley about the opportunities and challenges for investments within the RAS value chain. If your RAS project is ready to scale, this podcast episode is worth a listen.

Do you have what it takes to work in a RAS operation? This episode of RAS Talk tackles the current challenges as well as strategies for hiring the right people. Hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci talk with Cristina Espejo, head of HR and ESAP (environmental and social action plan) at Atlantic Sapphire in Miami, Florida, and Kirk Havercroft, CEO of Sustainable Blue in Nova Scotia, Canada. These two companies are not just investing in the technology, but more importantly, they are investing in their people to develop a highly-skilled and competent RAS workforce.

All eyes are on Maine as an emerging destination for RAS development projects. In this episode, co-hosts Mari-Len De Guzman, editor of RAStech, and Brian Vinci, director, The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute, explores the issues and developments at one of Maine’s RAS pioneers – Nordic Aquafarms. Guest Erik Heim, president of Nordic Aquafarms, takes us through the strategies and factors that led his company to choose Maine as the site for its proposed US$500-million Atlantic salmon RAS farm, as well as the challenges and lessons learned through the process.

The inaugural National Summit for Gateway Communities -- held on December 11-13, 2018, at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, West Virginia -- celebrated the role of gateway communities in the stewardship of America's public lands and identified opportunities to help them thrive. Presentations and other items from this event can be found on this page. Any questions about how to become involved in this or similar programs or suggested edits and additions to the contents of this page can be sent to Margarita Carey (mcarey@conservationfund.org).

Additional Resources:

• LINK to GroundWorkUSA YouTube playlist (associated with Plenary 4)

Building the capacity of local nonprofits, grassroots organizations, and neighborhood residents is an essential part of our community-centered approach and ensures those that live, work, and play near these Parks with Purpose projects benefit from their development. Engaging with and empowering the community is key in the Fund’s approach to developing these new urban parks.

WHAT IS A PARK with PURPOSE? 

Our Parks with Purpose Initiative pioneers a unique, multi-benefit approach to partnering with communities on innovative greenspaces:

• We empower communities, as the primary beneficiaries, to set objectives and design park features that ensure a safer and healthier place for families to play and enjoy the outdoors.

• We embrace equitable, inclusive, and sustainable park development in urban neighborhoods that have been historically denied, disregarded or dismissed.

• We implement green infrastructure strategies and greenspace design to address chronic problems of stormwater flooding, overflowing sewers, higher urban temperatures and declining air quality.

• We support economic resiliency through workforce training and employment programs for neighborhood residents.
  
  

Our partnership in action:

In each metropolitan area, we are working with local nonprofit partner organizations on community-centered engagement processes so residents can define their specific community interests and needs

• Atlanta, GA
  The Fund's local partner is Park Pride and the organizations involved in the Atlanta Watershed Learning Network with a focus on English Avenue and Proctor North Avenue neighborhoods. Other partners include West Atlanta Watershed Association, Proctor Creek Stewardship Council, Greening Youth Foundation and EcoAction.

^{Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park, Coming 2019. Credit: Park Design by HGOR}

• Baltimore, MD
  The Fund's lead local partner is Greater Baybrook Alliance (GBA). Along with GBA, Friends of Garrett Park, and BlueWater Baltimore, we are working with the Garrett Park neighborhood in Brooklyn/Baybrook area of south Baltimore.
  
  
• Durham, NC
  The Fund's lead local partner is Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, with a focus on projects in the Goose Creek watershed of east and northeast Durham. 

• Raleigh, NC
  The Fund's lead local partner is Walnut Creek Wetlands Community Partnership, focused on the neighborhoods situated southeast of downtown Raleigh. North Carolina State University's Water Resources Research Institute serves as the Partnership’s fiscal agent and other partners include ILASS and CHER.
  
  
• Washington, DC:
  Together with additional philanthropic partners, we are helping the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation support a new Community Engagement Liaison position to build bridges with residents of historic Anacostia and design a new “friends” organization for Anacostia Park, the key unit of National Capital Parks - East.
  
  Check out this webinar on equitable development, hosted by The Conservation Fund in partnership with Building Bridges Across the River (BBAR), which features Vaughn Perry, Equitable Development Manager with 11th Street Bridge Park, a project of BBAR, which will be Washington, D.C.’s first elevated public park.
  
  

^{Vine City Park (Atlanta, GA)}

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS TO OUTDATED INFRASTRUCTURE

These vulnerable communities suffer disproportionately from stormwater flooding, overflowing sewers, higher urban temperatures, and declining air quality.

As the climate changes and severe weather events become more frequent, these persistent problems adversely affect residents’ health and deter investments that could support new businesses and jobs and improve housing, educational opportunities, and public safety.

Our Parks With Purpose projects are investing in new natural green space elements that can hold and filter stormwater, reduce flash flooding and erosion, and expand the capacity of aging, urban sewer systems.

^{Oliver Street, the eastern boundary block at Kathryn Johnston Park. Photo credit: Tony Torrence}

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Support is currently needed to underwrite our Workforce Development Programs in each of these urban parks. This community-centered initiative offers job training and employment opportunities to local residents in the fields of ecological restoration, tree care, landscaping, and green infrastructure installation and maintenance.

These new green jobs and valuable employment skills are immediately put to use in each Park With Purpose location for site preparation, renovation and ongoing park preservation, strengthening neighborhood economic resiliency. Learn more about the impact our Parks With Purpose Workforce Development Program has on the lives of young adults in these communities. 

Video: Building a Parks With Purpose in Atlanta

Our goal is to grow these opportunities, so that residents, cities, and other nonprofit partners can share successes, challenges, and lessons learned across a wide, collaborative network. Exchanges have included:

• Delegations from a variety of cities have participated in a learning exchange through the Fund’s partnership with the US Water Alliance and American Rivers to share insights and lessons learned about large scale, integrated watershed management solutions. In addition, the US Water Alliance has engaged six cities—Atlanta, Louisville, Camden, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Buffalo, and Cleveland are working together on a Water Equity Taskforce aimed at delivering clean and healthy water resources to some of our most vulnerable communities.

• A partnership of non-profits has established the Atlanta Watershed Learning Network, connecting residents in three of Atlanta’s most imperiled waterways through a green infrastructure advocacy program. The Learning Network has graduated the first class of advocates and a second cohort is currently enrolled in the program. The University of Georgia is currently working with our collaborative partners to develop the curriculum in a web-based platform that can be shared with other watersheds across the country. 

• In 2018, our network of Parks with Purpose teams visited Atlanta for a two-day peer exchange to learn from Atlanta residents and collaborative partners how a community-centered development model was developed, creating new ripples of knowledge and collaborative learning that will expand our partnerships across cities and increase benefits to additional communities. 

• In 2019, our Parks with Purpose city partners reconvened for a second Peer Exchange in Raleigh. Attendees learned about the importance of community vision planning, communications skills, and about the various community engagement programs in Raleigh and Durham. Our organization proudly supported small local businesses as our vendors to support the local community and economy.

The annual Aquaculture Innovation Workshop (AIW) is dedicated to the discussion and presentation of the latest developments in aquaculture technology. The workshop aims to further the vision of sustainable aquaculture and foster innovation in the field. Over two days, a multitude of speakers present their insights, experimental findings, and general commentary on the industry. If you would like to find out more on past AIW conferences, please feel free to browse through the information below:

• AIW 1: January 17-18, 2011; Shepherdstown, WV, USA
• AIW 2: September 26-27, 2011; Campbell River, BC, Canada
• AIW 3: May 15-16, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA
• AIW 4: November 5-6, 2012; Comox, BC, Canada
• AIW 5: September 4-6, 2013; Shepherdstown, WV, USA
• AIW 6: October 27-28, 2014: Vancouver, BC, Canada
• AIW 7: October 13-15, 2015; Shepherdstown, WV, USA
• AIW 8: August 19-21, 2016; Roanoke, VA, USA
• AIW 9: November 29-30, 2017; Vancouver, BC, Canada
• AIW 10: December 4-6, 2018; Miami, FL, USA

 

You’re likely reading this because, like us, you recognize America has a food security problem. The demand for local food is growing, while the average American farmer is getting older. Farms are being lost to development, and the next generation of farmers can’t afford the remaining farmland while expanding their production. At the same time, communities across the country are facing inequity issues that impact their health and daily wellbeing. These challenges are big, but they can be resolved with a unique approach to farm conservation and partnership. Our Working Farms Fund is building a healthier, more equitable and resilient food system.

The program permanently protects at-risk farmland, creates opportunities for ambitious, diverse farmers to scale up local food production, and through conservation easements and lease-to-own options, these farmers will come out of the program owning their own farms and building partnerships that will help them increase food production and market return.

1. Creating affordable and equitable farm ownership opportunities for diverse and ambitious next-generation farmers to build prosperous farm businesses and vibrant communities.

2. Growing a resilient food system that strengthens connections between farmers, markets, and consumers and increases the supply of locally grown and nutritious foods.

3. Ensuring permanent protection of critical farmland to grow our local food supply and secure the benefits of clean air and water for local communities.

4. Accelerating the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and incentivizing farmers to improve the environment and human health.

Historic and present-day injustice creates challenges to accessing land, capital, loans, program support, and educational tools for people of color, indigenous people, women, and other economically disadvantaged groups. Our program is committed to increasing opportunities for those farmers who have been historically marginalized.