On July 1, Bell Aquaculture LLC held the grand opening event for the Bell Farms Aqua Feed mill located in central Indiana USA.
Over 300 fish farmers, government officials and industry experts attended the event held on site at Bell Farms in Albany, Indiana.
This mill represents the last major step toward completion of a vertically integrated aquaculture farm that has long been in development by the team at Bell. This vertical integration includes a 1000 tonne fish farm, an in-house processing facility and production of value added products generated from capture and cultivation of by-products.
“A long time dream has been realised here today. I am very proud of our team, our partners and our community for working together to make this dream a reality and take this critical step toward providing a solution to our coming food deficit.” said Norman McCowan, President & CEO of Bell Aquaculture LLC.
“This truly is a momentous occasion and a milestone in what Brian Baldwin and I began almost a decade ago.” said Michael Miller co-founder of Bell Aquaculture LLC.
“It is amazing to see what a group of individuals can come together to achieve.”
Led by Dr Steven Craig with over 25 years of experience in fish nutrition, the feeds from this mill will be tailored to the nutritional, biological and physiological needs of specific species at key points in the life cycle of the fish. The mill will be the first of its kind to produce feed locally to service the aquaculture industry on a mass scale.
Bell Farms is expected to produce approximately two million pounds of feed per month (some 907 tonnes) sourcing over half of ingredients locally.
This realisation of the Bell dream is the result of countless hours of research, development and implementation by many companies, organisations and individuals working toward goals that have now become synergistic with the National Strategic Plan for Federal Aquaculture Research announced by President Barack Obama on June 17, 2014.
Bell extended its sincerest gratitude and appreciation to all who participated in making this happen including: The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Soy Aquaculture Alliance, the Indiana Department of Agriculture, Pranger Enterprises, Low Salinity Incorporated, the State of Indiana, Pentair Aquatic Eco Systems, the towns of Albany and Redkey, Delaware and Jay Counties and the team at Bell.
"Our mill will benefit the county and the state by providing jobs and increasing demand for locally produced soybeans and grains, while also providing feed to support the growing local aquaculture industry, " says Mr McCowan.
Over 300 fish farmers, government officials and industry experts attended the event held on site at Bell Farms in Albany, Indiana.
This mill represents the last major step toward completion of a vertically integrated aquaculture farm that has long been in development by the team at Bell. This vertical integration includes a 1000 tonne fish farm, an in-house processing facility and production of value added products generated from capture and cultivation of by-products.
“A long time dream has been realised here today. I am very proud of our team, our partners and our community for working together to make this dream a reality and take this critical step toward providing a solution to our coming food deficit.” said Norman McCowan, President & CEO of Bell Aquaculture LLC.
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| Norman McCowan, President & CEO of Bell Aquaculture LLC |
“This truly is a momentous occasion and a milestone in what Brian Baldwin and I began almost a decade ago.” said Michael Miller co-founder of Bell Aquaculture LLC.
“It is amazing to see what a group of individuals can come together to achieve.”
Led by Dr Steven Craig with over 25 years of experience in fish nutrition, the feeds from this mill will be tailored to the nutritional, biological and physiological needs of specific species at key points in the life cycle of the fish. The mill will be the first of its kind to produce feed locally to service the aquaculture industry on a mass scale.
Bell Farms is expected to produce approximately two million pounds of feed per month (some 907 tonnes) sourcing over half of ingredients locally.
This realisation of the Bell dream is the result of countless hours of research, development and implementation by many companies, organisations and individuals working toward goals that have now become synergistic with the National Strategic Plan for Federal Aquaculture Research announced by President Barack Obama on June 17, 2014.
Bell extended its sincerest gratitude and appreciation to all who participated in making this happen including: The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Soy Aquaculture Alliance, the Indiana Department of Agriculture, Pranger Enterprises, Low Salinity Incorporated, the State of Indiana, Pentair Aquatic Eco Systems, the towns of Albany and Redkey, Delaware and Jay Counties and the team at Bell.
"Our mill will benefit the county and the state by providing jobs and increasing demand for locally produced soybeans and grains, while also providing feed to support the growing local aquaculture industry, " says Mr McCowan.
The mill is expected to generate up to 25 new jobs over the next three years, while reducing the need for local aquaculture industry to source feed from remote locations, thereby completing a cycle of sustainable aquaculture for local supply and demand.
In 2005, Bell Aquaculture was founded in Redkey, IN as a solution to a problem - the fish in Lake Michigan were contaminated. Bell has invested US$20-plus million in an aquaculture research and development center and built a state-of-the-aquaculture facility located in rural Indiana, USA to provide a toxin-free supply of fish to meet the demand.
Bell offers trout, salmon, perch, feed and fertilizers that are derived from fish to contribute to the life cycle of humans and fish - part of our broader philosophy to use all that is available to us to benefit to humanity and its planet.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd.