SYNTHETIC AMINO ACIDS ARE GENERALLY PROHIBITED IN CERTIFIED ORGANIC POULTRY PRODUCTION. METHIONINE IS THE ONLY SYNTHETIC AMINO ACID ALLOWED IN ORGANIC POULTRY FEED (UNTIL THE NEXT SUNSET REVIEW IN 2026) AT RESTRICTED LEVELS IN ORGANIC POULTRY DIETS DUE TO ITS HIGH BIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT. FINDING A NATURAL, COST-EFFECTIVE SOURCE OF METHIONINE HAS BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY FOR ORGANIC FARMERS. HARVESTED INSECTS ARE LOW-COST, READILY AVAILABLE PROTEIN SOURCE RICH IN METHIONINE. HOWEVER, A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL OF HARVESTED INSECTS AS AN ORGANIC PROTEIN/METHIONINE SOURCE HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED. IN ADDITION TO HARVESTED INSECTS, WE WILL ALSO EVALUATE COMMERCIALLY RAISED CRICKETS, WHICH PRELIMINARY DATA SHOWED BOTH TO HAVE IMMENSE POTENTIAL AS SUSTAINABLE SOURCES OF METHIONINE FOR ORGANIC POULTRY DIETS. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE: 1) COLLECT AND PREPARE INSECT MEAL FROM WILD HARVESTED INSECTS AND PERFORM MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY AND NUTRIENT ANALYSIS OF THE MEAL TO FORMULATE BROILER RATIONS 2) EVALUATE GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND MEAT QUALITY OF BROILER CHICKENS FED WITH INSECT-BASED DIETS 3) CONDUCT AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF INSECT MEALS AS A VIABLE SOURCE OF METHIONINE 4) CONDUCT ON-FARM TESTING FOR ASCERTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENTS IN ORGANIC POULTRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE GOALS OF ORG-FY 2024, PRIORITY 3: DEVELOP CULTURAL PRACTICES AND OTHER ALLOWABLE ALTERNATIVES TO SUBSTANCES RECOMMENDED FOR REMOVAL FROM NOP'S NATIONAL LIST OF ALLOWED AND PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES. EDUCATIONAL AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES TO DISSEMINATE RESULTS AND STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIC PRODUCERS WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAMS, ELECTRONIC AND PRINTED MATERIAL, AND WORKSHOPS.