URBAN PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

HATCHERY: THE FARMORY MADE SEVERAL PHYSICAL UPGRADES TO OUR FACILITIES. WE CONTINUED OPERATIONS IN OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART COMMERCIAL YELLOW PERCH FISH HATCHERY. IN 2021, WE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR NEW BRANDING, EXPANDED OUR TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES, AND HIRED ONE FULL TIME HATCHERY TECHNICIAN AND PROMOTED OUR HATCHERY TECHNICIAN TO HATCHERY MANAGER. WE ALSO HOSTED 3 AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBERS WHO ALL HELPED BUILD OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH. WE RECEIVED FISH EGGS, HATCHED THEM, GREW THEM TO FINGERLING SIZE AND SOLD THEM TO OVER 60 CUSTOMERS. OUR PERCH WENT INTO INDOOR TANK SYSTEMS, AQUAPONICS SYSTEMS, AND PONDS. WE ACHIEVED OUR FIRST "OFF SEASON" PERCH SPAWN USING OUR OWN YELLOW PERCH THAT WERE RAISED IN HOUSE IN 2020. WE CONTINUE TO ESTABLISH INDUSTRY STANDARD SOPS FOR OFF SEASON PERCH SPAWNING IN RAS SYSTEMS. OUR HATCHERY MANAGER IS ON A COMMITTEE FOR A SEAGRANT PROJECT THAT IS FOCUSING ON STANDARDIZING GROWING YELLOW PERCH FROM EGGS TO MARKET SIZE.

THE FARMORY CONTINUED THE FARMORYWORKS PROGRAMS WITH 3 COHORTS IN 2021. WITH THE SUCCESS OF OUR PERCH HATCHERY AND THE WEBINARS, WE KNEW IT WAS TIME TO DEEPEN OUR PROGRAMS. ENTER THE FARMORYWORKS AQUACULTURE TECHNICIAN PROGRAM. IN 2021, WE RECRUITED AND GRADUATED 2 FULL CLASSES TOTALING 20 PARTICIPANTS, COMING FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THESE INDIVIDUALS LEARNED AQUACULTURE CONCEPTS THROUGH WEEKLY WEBINARS OR IN PERSON LECTURES AND HANDS ON TECHNICAL PRACTICE IN OUR FISH HATCHERY. GRADUATES WERE REQUIRED TO DISPLAY CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE IN EACH OF THE CORE AREAS. WE COMPLETED THE FIRST AQUACULTURE ENTREPRENEUR CLASS, GRADUATING 10 PARTICIPANTS, 2 OF WHICH WENT ON TO OPEN THEIR OWN AQUACULTURE BASED STARTUP BUSINESSES! WE ALSO COMPLETED PLANNING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP EXPERIENCES.