About DARE-KY

A rapidly growing sector of AgTech is soilless plant production, encompassing hydroponics (Aquaponics, using synthetic fertilizer) and aquaponics (AP, fish waste fertilizer). Over $145 million has been invested in soilless AgTech (SAT) facilities across Kentucky since 2016. This led the Kentucky Governor to establish the “AgriTech Advisory Council” in 2020, seeking to make Kentucky a global AgTech hub. Despite the interest and potential, SAT is a high-risk venture and viability of long-term sustainability is not clear. Companies in Kentucky like AppHarvest and Square Roots that garnered national attention and raised tens of millions of dollars in capital, have since been dissolved, citing high start-up/operational costs and lack of research and development (R&D) funding and related workforce. The state’s two land grant institutions, Kentucky State University (KSU) and University of Kentucky (UK), support agriculture research and address challenges in traditional, soil-based agriculture but have yet to develop comprehensive research and academic programs in SAT. In addition, related workforce development (WFD) is often limited to classroom-based systems or entry-level unpaid internships. Additionally, major concerns over long-term financial sustainability, hinders further growth of the industry.

To address these issues, the DARE KY project seeks to answer the central research of: Can bioremediation of aquaculture effluent provide a sustainable fertilizer for soilless plant production? Further, specific areas of research focus are nutrient recovery from aquaculture systems, microbiota characterization of soilless systems and aquaculture waste digestion systems, food safety assessments of soilless systems, and examining the environmental impacts and sustainability of soilless agriculture operations. Additionally, the project will structure its work around the fulfillment of the following four goals:

• ●  Goal 1: Create a jurisdiction-wide consortium (DARE-KY) of individuals and institutions that supports SAT research and enhances Kentucky’s STEM research competitiveness, in accordance with the KY S&T Plan.

• ●  Goal 2: Build capacity for cross-disciplinary, use-inspired SAT research at KSU, BCTC, FoodChain, and UPIKE and complete research projects aligned with the three research thrusts.

• ●  Goal 3: Expand education and workforce development opportunities for K-20 students to prepare for SAT research careers and other AgTech careers in STEM, especially for students of color, first-generation students, and women.

• ●  Goal 4: Ensure the sustainability of translational SAT research and development in Kentucky to enable global and national R&D engagement.

  The central mission of creating a statewide, multi-institutional network will be conducted under the leadership of KSU, Kentucky’s only public Historically Black College or University (HBCU), in partnership with emerging research institutions (ERIs), and with primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). Further, a new facility and research hub at KSU, entitled the Center of AgTech Research, Education, and Technology (CARET), will expand KSU’s capacity to perform transformative research in AgTech. This project also coincides with the planned opening of the Sachdeva Research and Innovation Incubator for AgTech at the University of Pikeville (UPIKE, an ERI in Kentucky), under which new research facilities and academic programs in AgTech will be developed. Additional research and demonstration incubator sites will run at Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC, a PUI in Kentucky) and FoodChain, a Kentucky nonprofit organization focused on K-12 education, and will help facilitate ongoing, collaborative research, as well as related educational and AgTech workforce development initiatives. The Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), another partner in the project, will play a key role in engaging new industry partners, improve connectivity between industry and academia, and support pursuit of additional funding. Kentucky’s leading research institutions, UK and the University of Louisville (UofL) will be involved on an advisory basis, and the project includes plans to strengthen research and other types of collaborations with Kentucky’s Bellarmine University, Centre College, and Berea College. The resulting multi-institutional network of multidisciplinary research teams, comprising new and existing faculty, post-docs, and additional staff, will support: high-impact AgTech research, AgTech academic programs, mentorship to students, and employment pipelines in AgTech through partnerships with industry.

The DARE KY project responds directly to State STEM research priorities in the KY Science & Technology (S&T) plan authored by the Kentucky EPSCoR Statewide Committee in partnership with the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC). KSU (a HBCU) has engaged ERIs (UPIKE), PUIs (BCTC) and non-profit organizations (FoodChain) to both increase and diversify student enrollment in STEM postsecondary education, as these institutions have a higher percentage of first-generation college students, women, and students of color than other Kentucky institutions that have been the primary beneficiaries of past EPSCoR funding. AgTech encompasses a wide array of STEM fields, including engineering, chemistry, biology, and computer science. New academic programs at the college level and new AgTech focused initiatives in K-12 will expose a diverse array of students to AgTech careers and generate interest in STEM fields of study. Additionally, due to small class sizes and a high staff:student ratio relative to other Kentucky institutions, HBCS, ERIs and PUIs will also have a greater capacity to offer and develop AgTech certificate and WFD programs, as well as implement individualized support services to retain students for STEM degree completion. Last, professional development will be offered to research and teaching faculty from collaborating institutions within the multi-institutional network to support and expand SAT research across the state.

Leadership Team Contacts

Kentucky State University

Dr. Avanish Tope (Avinash.Tope@kysu.edu)

Janelle Hager (Janelle.Hager@kysu.edu)

Leo Fleckenstein (Leo.Fleckenstein@kysu.edu)

Ciera Davis (Ciera.Davis@kysu.edu)

University of Pikeville

Byron Meade (bmeade00@upike.edu)

Bluegrass Community & Technical College

Audrey Law (audrey.law@kctcs.edu)

Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation

Maria Labreveux (mlabreveux@kstc.com)