November 22, 2013 — Each winter, the North Carolina Aquaculture Development Conference draws more than 200 fish farmers, scientists and industry newcomers from across the Southeast to discuss research and current marketing trends for farm-raised fish and seafood. The 2014 gathering will be held in New Bern, Feb. 20-22.
The conference theme, Navigating Currents of Change, focuses attention on how aquaculture fits into emerging consumer markets. The keynote speaker will be Debbie Hamrick, director of specialty crops for the NC Farm Bureau Federation. Hamrick has tracked macro-trends affecting consumer spending and agriculture, including urbanization and the role of millennials as economic drivers. Her address will cover topics such as how to position farm-raised fish into a market dominated by urban consumers, and how to use metrics to determine future demand.
Hamrick is an influential figure in North Carolina’s booming local-foods sector. She has served on the statewide Local Sustainable Foods Advisory Council, the North Carolina Catch Board, the aquaculture conference board, and also advises more than a dozen specialty-crops organizations. Prior to joining the Farm Bureau, Hamrick spent nearly 20 years with Ball Publishing and was the founder of FloraCulture International magazine.