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<div>All,</div>
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<div>This was posted in the latest edition of Buckeye Aquafarming but please see below the Executive Director of the National Aquaculture Association's request for participation from our farmers in the upcoming regional survey. <span style="font-size: 10pt;">The
survey is currently being "trial-run" by a few Midwest farmers and everyone else should receive the survey before the end of this month. Individual e-mails will be sent out and will not be sent to the Ohio State ran listservs. If you do not receive a survey
by the end of the month then please contact Carole Engle. Her contact information is at the bottom. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We hope everyone capitalizes on this chance to strengthen aquaculture in the Midwest.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px; color:rgb(187,0,0); font-weight:bold">Matt</span><br style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">
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<div><img src="http://osu.edu/assets/site/images/logos/osu-emailsig.png" alt="The Ohio State University" style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px"><br style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">
<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px; color:rgb(187,0,0); font-weight:bold">Matthew A. Smith</span><br style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">Extension </span><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">Aquaculture </span><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">Specialist</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:rgb(51,51,51); line-height:18px">OSU South Centers</span><br style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">
<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px; color:rgb(187,0,0)">College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:rgb(51,51,51); line-height:18px"> </span><br style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">
<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:rgb(51,51,51); line-height:18px">1864 Shyville Road, Piketon, OH 45661</span><br style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">
<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:rgb(51,51,51); line-height:18px">740.289.2071 ext 121 Office / 740.289.4591 Fax</span><br style="color:rgb(51,51,51); font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px">
<font color="#0000ee" face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12px; line-height:18px"><b><u><a href="http://southcenters.osu.edu/aquaculture/extension" target="_blank">http://southcenters.osu.edu/aquaculture/extension</a></u></b></span></font></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Dear NAA Member:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with a survey that will soon be distributed to the North Central region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,
Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). See below.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">We also request that you forward this email to aquaculture, aquaponics and baitfish harvesters in the North Central region because, as you probably know, not everyone belongs to a state or trade association.
This project involves Carole Engle, Nick Phelps, Kwamena Quagrainie, Matthew Smith, and Chris Weeks.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thank you,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Paul<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Striving to Improve North Central Region Aquaculture Businesses Through Strong State Aquaculture Associations<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) will soon be seeking input from aquaculture and aquaponic producers, as well as baitfish harvesters in the region to identify ways to strengthen state
aquaculture associations. Aquaculture producers in states with active and engaged associations have benefitted from various services and assistance provided, but not all states in the region have active aquaculture associations. Currently, less than half of
the states in the North Central Region have associations with regular meetings and elections.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">A national survey was conducted recently to assess the benefits of industry associations; only 1% of total survey respondents were from the North Central Region. Thus, results from this national survey are
not representative of this region. The NCRAC survey is focusing only on the North Central Region, and NCRAC is requesting your participation to complete the questionnaire. We believe information gathered from your responses will directly help to strengthen
industry associations.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">All aquaculture/aquaponic farmers and baitfish harvesters will be contacted for their input regardless of whether they have ever joined an association or not. The online questionnaire will be sent via e-mail,
although alternative methods may be utilized if an Internet-based survey is not possible. The survey should not take more than 5-7 minutes to complete. Some of the information gathered will include whether you have ever joined an association or not, what services
from a state association would be beneficial to your farm, and what barriers or constraints you see in developing/expanding a state aquaculture association in your state.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">All responses to these surveys will be kept confidential and developed reports will only include general categories of responses. Whether you are currently part of an association or not, we ask that, when
the time comes, that you please participate to help strengthen aquaculture as a whole throughout the region.
<b>A key element to the success of this project is acquiring input from farmers who are not currently members of any state aquaculture association as well as those who are.</b>
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">If you are a producer or a baitfish harvester and are not contacted to complete a questionnaire (either by e-mail or phone) by
<b>January 31, 2017</b> then please contact Dr. Carole Engle at <a href="mailto:cengle8523@gmail.com" target="_blank">
cengle8523@gmail.com</a> (TEL: <a href="tel:(870)%20489-4259" value="+18704894259" target="_blank">
870-489-4259</a>), and we will get the survey to you right away. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thank you for your help with this initiative to strengthen aquaculture businesses in the North Central Region.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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