INTAG Selected for ACRES Project Greenhouse

State College, Pennsylvania
December 10, 2019
From left to right are Jeffrey Rose, ACRES Project employee, Bellamarie Bregar, Executive Director of The ACRES Project, Mary Krupa, ACRES Project employee, and Molly Kunkel, Executive Director of Centre Foundation.

INTAG Systems has been selected to design and install an aquaponic system for the ACRES Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates social and workforce development opportunities for adults with autism. The ACRES Project has been awarded a $100,000 Centre Inspires grant to fund construction of a new greenhouse as well as the design and installation of an INTAG Natural Nutrient System (INNS). Installation is scheduled for early 2020.

Through the ACRES Project, adults with autism will manage the greenhouse and sell the produce locally. They will be joined by residents of local retirement communities, Centre County students, and members of the public with the goal of fostering lifelong learning and social connections between community members of all ages and walks of life.

“We have been researching the whole area of Controlled Environment Agriculture and the opportunities for STEM education and workforce training for the past five years,” said Bellamarie Bregar, Executive Director of the ACRES Project. “In the end, we decided to select INTAG as our partner to create our aquaponics system for their unique zero-waste technology, expertise, and also for the personalized training and that they offer for our staff who will be managing the greenhouse.”

INTAG workforce development solutions employ innovative models for delivering technical and vocational training content to develop skills in food, agriculture, and related technologies, turning our Integrated Agriculture sites into powerful learning environments. Project-based learning combined with diverse and relevant technologies provides students and trainees from any background with a rare ‘talent ramp’ for developing both entry-level and advanced skill sets in an unusually cross-functional setting.

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