2026 Aquaculture in Shared Water 2.0: Business of Shellfish Aquaculture

This course is being offered for current shellfish aquaculture farmers living in Maine. Given that this is an intermediate to advanced level course, the target audience is farmers with 1 to 10 years of experience. We encourage applications for this program from:

• Shellfish farmers who are looking to expand their business
• Shellfish farmers who are interested in honing business management skills
• Shellfish farmers who would like to explore income diversification 
• Shellfish farmers who would like to have additional networking opportunities

The course is currently free of charge thanks to funding support from a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant. The course will run from March to April 2026 and you must be a full-time resident of Maine to participate. Shellfish farmers are encouraged to apply. Farmers focused on seaweed will have an opportunity to attend a separate AQSW 2.0 course in the fall of 2026.

Participants in this workshop series will:

• Gain understanding of intermediated aquaculture topics, including: Financial Management, Risk Management & Insurance, HR & Hiring, and Supply Chains & Shipping
• Revisit crucial public health topics and updates for the shellfish industry 
• Receive hands-on, on-the-water safety training 
• Network and connect with instructors, experts, and other shellfish aquaculturists
• Explore emerging species (urchins!?) and novel gear opportunities (electrification!?) 

March 4th, 6-8PM

March 11th, 6-8PM

March 18th, 6-8PM

The nuts and bolts of getting your products from Point A to Point B, and how that influences how far you can get into the supply chain. 

March 25th, 6-8 PM

March 25th, 8:30AM-4:30PM

April 8th, 6-8PM

Current and emerging issues that growers should be paying attention to on the farm and post-harvest. Regulations, good practices, record-keeping, equipment and its use. 

April 15th, 6-8PM

April 17th, 8:30AM-4:30PM