Fellsmere, FL – Florida Organic Aquaculture (FOA) will be having its Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Celebration on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. Located in the rural town of Fellsmere, Florida, FOA is the largest closed-water, shrimp production facility in the U.S. It encompasses 180,000 sq. ft. or 4.13 acres—roughly the size of 3½ football fields. The shrimp are grown in an environmentally-safe, energy-efficient system, and raised without any chemicals or preservatives. This fresh, never frozen shrimp is highly sought after by restaurants, charter shipping lines, and grocery chains.
The $22 million project is expected to bring 512 direct and indirect jobs to the Treasure Coast region. Worldwide demands for seafood continue to rise dramatically, and the American consumer still prefers shrimp as their seafood of choice. Roughly 90% of shrimp consumed in U.S. is imported. However, FOA is positioned to meet this need as a Made In America and Fresh from Florida commodity. In addition, the economic impact, job creation, and educational opportunities of this project is significant.
The FOA ground-breaking ceremony held in April 2013 was attended by more than 300 people from the surrounding communities, and it is anticipated that this May 2014 Grand Opening will attract more visitors. Elected officials, college and university officers, and people from the private sector, nonprofit industries, and area businesses will be in attendance. Florida Representative Debbie Mayfield from District 54 will be the keynote speaker, along with the FOA founder and CEO Clifford Morris. The 501c3 nonprofit organization, Florida Aquaculture Foundation, will be among the sponsors of the event with its executive director, Teri Pinney, as emcee of the program.
After a program presentation, there will be a tour of the facilities, where visitors will be able to view the intensive water raceways and see the millions of shrimp being prepared for harvest. RSVP is essential. Go to http://whoozin.com/WYX-9CW-XETH or call (561) 741-3000. Flat shoes are recommended. Location: 15369 County Road 512 in Fellsmere, Florida.
Visit us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/happyhealthyshrimp.
Source: Florida Organic Aquaculture
