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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">All,</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">please see below the call for assistance with a VT aquaponic survey! The survey is now live.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">____________________________________</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The number of aquaponics producers in the U.S. has continued to grow; yet there is a lack of high quality, publishable scientific information on commercial aquaponics production. Such information is needed to
provide guidance to those seeking to move to full-time aquaponics production, by lenders when reviewing loan applications and for policy makers who do not fully understand aquaponics production. Most information available comes from laboratories or farms
associated with universities – not real working commercial farms, and the economics, especially, of such systems are not equivalent to what happens on actual farms and in greenhouses across the country.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">We are contacting you to ask for your participation in a survey on U.S. aquaponics production. The Recirculating Farms Coalition has asked us to conduct a study on the economic feasibility of commercial recirculating
aquaponics systems in the mainland U.S. We plan to develop a comprehensive economic feasibility analysis of various types of aquaponics systems in various regions of the U.S. as well as publish online a manual that summarizes current practices of commercial
aquaponics systems along with corresponding economic models. Our hope is that this information will decrease the timeline between start up and profit and to offer existing knowledge in an open source format.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">Your participation is essential to the success of this project. Your individual business information will be maintained in an
<b><u>entirely confidential manner</u></b>. The models created will be developed in a way that will
<b><u>not</u></b> reveal any individual farm’s confidential information.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">The survey is open to all U.S. aquaponics producers; please limit one survey response per business/organization. The survey should only take about 15 minutes of your time.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">The survey will be accessible online <b><u>from August 18<sup>th</sup> to September 6<sup>th</sup></u></b> through this link:
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9N5GMLMjDAM7lvT" target="_blank">https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9N5GMLMjDAM7lvT</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Should you have any questions or if you would like additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us (<a href="mailto:jvansenten@vt.edu">jvansenten@vt.edu</a>).
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Thank you for your time and consideration, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Bell MT","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:
minor-fareast;color:#1F4E79;mso-no-proof:yes">Jonathan van Senten,
</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Bell MT","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
color:#1F4E79;mso-no-proof:yes">PhD</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size:
14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Bell MT","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;color:#1F4E79;mso-no-proof:
yes"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Virginia Tech Seafood AREC<span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-no-proof:yes"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Email: <a href="mailto:jvansenten@vt.edu"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
color:#0563C1;mso-no-proof:yes">jvansenten@vt.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tel: 757-727-4861<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cel: 954-297-7940<o:p></o:p></p>
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