4-H Aquaculture at the Blue Hill Fair

This year, 4-H at the Blue Hill Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, will include an aquaculture exhibit by youth ages 15-18 who participated in an internship at the University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research in Franklin. Seven Hancock County 4-H members participated in the summer internship, where they were involved in the care of yellowtail kingfish and learned about the role of sustainable aquaculture in the global food system. This is the first time that finfish aquaculture has been added as a component to Maine 4-H programs and as a project to be shown at a rural agricultural fair. This is an exciting addition to the list of 4-H’s locally grown agricultural products. The aquaculture internship program was funded by Maine EPSCoR/SEANET.

 

Photo: Melissa Malmstedt, left, Education & Outreach Coordinator at the University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research in Franklin, talks about finfish farming with 4-Hers participating in an aquaculture internship this summer: left to right: Mei Mei White of Swans Island, Ryan Conary-Leeman of Hancock, Hannah Dyer of Brooklin, and Heron Wagner of Hampden