Research Project for Shrimp

Education is the fuel feeding our economic engine by both preparing the work force and facilitating research for developing innovative advancements and business growth.

Without a well-prepared and educated work force, economic prosperity will wither and die on the vine. On the other hand, a stagnant or declining economic base erodes the foundations of our educational system through inadequate funding, loss of collaborative research opportunities, and a decrease of innovative entrepreneurs from which to draw upon for new ideas.

Part of Government’s role is to assist in providing educational opportunities and aggressively promote economic development.  The Commonwealth is diligently working to create an environment to entice new business opportunities. Through improvements in education, increased emphasis on research and development, and modernizing fiscal policy, Kentucky is growing our opportunities for the 21st century.

As part of that growth, earlier this year the Commonwealth provided Hardin County Government an opportunity to facilitate a significant portion of one of its multi-million dollar state sponsored research projects right here in Hardin County. The project involved the partnering of a private enterprise, Magnolia Shrimp, with the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Commonwealth’s two key partners in the project were the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University.

This research effort would have been little or no cost to county government. The project’s primary benefit from locating in our county involved using heat generated from the conversion of methane gas to electricity at the county’s landfill.  This waste heat would have warmed water for the production demonstration phase of a research project to grow salt-water shrimp year around in a climate-controlled environment.

Utilizing the waste heat created at our landfill would have been a key component of the economic viability of the research efforts.  This heat source would have not only reduced energy costs for the research phase, but would have also provided proof for the concept of using this heat in full-scale production.

The only real “cost” to Hardin County was granting a low cost lease for a few acres of the county’s land.  The county owns approximately 1,600 acres at the landfill of which less than 700 acres are anticipated for use in support of landfill operations.  The research phase of the project would have required 5 acres.  Subsequent full-scale production opportunities may have required an additional 10 acres.  

The payoff to Hardin County for participating in the project would have been tremendous.  First, we had a rare opportunity to partner with the state for a research and development project here in Hardin County.  Imagine the educational opportunities in the field of aquaculture for our local school systems and the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.  

Second, state sponsored aquaculture research in Hardin County by the universities would have certainly provide beneficial long term impacts and diversification opportunities for our local farm community.

Third, economic development growth would have certainly ocurred following the success of the demonstration phase.  Numerous production facilities would have been needed for growing the shrimp.  Processing and packaging facilities would have been inevitable to prepare the product for shipping.  And of course the transportation and all the supporting business associated with shipping would have flourished. 

Unfortunately Hardin County Fiscal Court decided to REJECT the offer to bring state sponsored research, education, and economic development to our county.  These opportunities would have allowed our region to harness a small portion of a developing multi-billion dollar national enterprise.