A COMPARISON OF EXTENSION AQUACULTURE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT IN OHIO AND ARKANSAS

The current situation of aquaculture in the United States is a broad discussion that is highly variable based on species, region, markets, and who you talk to, among others. Two states that garner specific attention due to recent experiences are Arkansas and Ohio. Arkansas is the largest producer of several warmwater species and is home to many of the largest fish farms in the country. Rightfully so, a greater number of Extension aquaculture full-time equivalents in Arkansas have assisted in educating farmers and conducting applied research applicable to the state's stakeholders over the last few decades. Due to ample and effective Extension, multi-generation Arkansas farmers are well versed in much of the world of aquaculture. In contrast, the higher latitude of Ohio has so far limited most farms to relatively small scale. While Arkansas' largest fish farms are >1,000 water acres, Ohio is without a farm >300 water acres.

This presentation will compare the Extension aquaculture program development of Ohio and Arkansas utilizing the logic model approach. Extension is often conducted in very different manners depending on size of the industry, location, and funding. Real world examples of similarities, differences, and learned and incorporated effective Extension activities from each state will be identified and discussed.