Feedback and observations from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) Aquaculture staff working in the field indicated a need for training farmers on water quality testing and monitoring. Staff have encountered facilities that do not test, have none or limited testing equipment, have equipment that does not operate properly, and do not keep records. Staff have also interacted with farmers who do not know how to test their water aside from taking dissolved oxygen and temperature readings. This prompted a need to develop an educational program that will provide farmers access to training on water quality testing and record keeping. Consequently, IISG purchased water quality testing equipment and assembled four testing kits for facility visits and training. This training happens on farms and in schools and during workshops in the bi-state area and beyond. One water quality test kit is specifically allocated for farm visits while the other three are loanable kits meant for educators and training workshops. This educational and outreach program is known as the “Know Your H2O program.”
The ““Know Your H2O program” program educates clientele about the importance of water quality testing and good recorded keeping, along with showing them in real time what their water quality parameters look like. The test kits also allow training the farmers and teachers using the train the trainer model. The program objective is to provide hands on expedited learning for farmers, educators and students.
The impact of the program so far is as follows; 26 farmers trained, 31 teachers trained, 147 students trained, 205 students impacted, 7 states impacted (IA, IL, IN, NE, NY, OH, VA). Leveraged funds have allowed for the programs to impact residents outside the bi-state area resulting in a broader geographic impact