Glandon discusses Iowa Shrimp farms, aquaculture with Sigourney second graders

           The second grade classes at Sigourney Elementary got a small taste from the big oceans as Dustin Glandon from Iowa Shrimp Farms came to class to talk about the delicious little creatures and the importance of our oceans.

            Glandon, whose son Konner is in Mrs. Hammes’s class, was invited to present after the students made a unanimous vote to learn more about the Iowa Shrimp Farms. According to Glandon, Konner had become great little helper at work. They brought in a small three gallon aquarium with various sizes of shrimp so that the students could see what the small shellfish looked like alive. Everything from shrimp feed to keep the ocean clean was presented by the father/son duo.

            “I discussed with both second grade class rooms about how fast the population was growing, not just in the United States but worldwide,” Glandon said. “I discussed with them about how our oceans are being over fished to compensate this increasing growth and that research has shown that our oceans are depleted by up to and if not more than 80 percent. If we continue to fish our oceans at the pace we are, that by the time the kids are in their late 30’s that most of the species that we are fishing now will be nearly gone or extinct completely.”

            Students got to ask about the curious creatures, including how they eat, if they sleep if they are always moving, who preys on them and if they are kept as pets. According to Glandon, the students were engaged not only about the shrimp, but also with aquaculture in general and how to keep the oceans clean.

            “I believe our children are the future of the longevity of our oceans/marine life and I believe in order to achieve this we much teach them the process of running a sustainable alternate feed source at an early stage in their lives,” Glandon said. “Aquaculture also has helped improve nutrition and food security in many parts of the world. I enjoyed how the kids listened to what I had to say and how focused they were on learning about the ins and outs raising shrimp.”

            According to Craig Meacham, a partner and owner in Iowa Shrimp Farm, the business is currently halfway finished with loading their tanks with shrimp and will be fully stocked by the end of June.

            “We are in the process of building the Biofloc in the water which may take up to six months. Biofloc Technology refers to using aeration to grow bacteria, algae and microorganisms in the water to a point where it removes contaminants and provides up to 40% of the protein for the shrimp,” Meacham said. “When Biofloc growth is complete, Iowa Shrimp Farms will be able to further increase our shrimp population.  We are expecting our first shrimp harvest in late July.”