The half-acre pond is fed by an aquifer and is ideal for raising the fish, which need cool water in order to thrive, said Dave Smith, owner of Freshwater Farms.
Additional stocks of trout will allow the farm to meet a constantly increasing demand. The farm was struggling to keep up with demand from area restaurants and other customers who wanted to purchase locally raised fish.
“We just need more places to raise it because it’s become so popular,” Smith said of the fish.
Despite all the seafood harvested from U.S. lakes, farms and coastline, the country still spends about $10 billion a year for imported seafood just to meet the demand, said Bob Calala, president of the Ohio Aquaculture Association. Trout, like many other species, are in short supply.
“The only large trout producers are out in Idaho, and they’re pretty much maxed out because of water issues,” Calala said.
Seafood raised overseas often does not face the same health and safety standards as food raised in the U.S., Calala said, and even large grocery chains are more often looking for fish raised locally.
“You’re going to see more and more of this,” Calala said of farms like Smith’s.
The agreement was set in motion by the city’s previous administration, but was approved after only one reading at the city council’s most recent meeting, said Marty Hess, president of council. The agreement not cost to the city, but both residents and a local business will likely benefit, Hess said.
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