Remember Bluegill Aquaculture?

It has been a while since I posted anything about farm raising bluegills. It's rather sad for me as a former fisheries Biologist, to put your dream of bringing bluegills to the masses on hold as you pursue another business venture. However, I still can get excited from time to time whenever I hear someone talk about them. It might be true that I may never be in a position to chase down that dream, Or that I may have lost the passion that is required to follow a rainbow to that pot of gold. But I thought I would at least keep it up front to those people who check in from time to time. I tracked down a restaurant that has bluegill in the name but not on the menu. Symbolic of the up hill battle that the bluegill farmers face. However, there is still research being done to find the economic value here: In the mean time, Cheryl and I have been making stockings and more tags. I finally finished the 150 tags that I was working on, and came to the conclusion that they will not work out as a full time option. But that is why I can experiment and make more. I'm sure I'll find something that is good looking AND easier to make. Those last ones took way too long to put into full time production. Hope everyone has a great week!

What will a Bluegill Processing plant look like?

After touring the Blue Ribbon Fish farm processing plant, And coming from Homestead Trout farm, My first thought is that it would be rather small scale. One or two people running a machine and trimming the filet's. However, after a little research and visiting Superior Seafoods, I see I might be thinking too small! Take a look at some of these processing plants in Japan, Alaska, and Mississippi! My first thought is that the skill involved for filleting a small-ish fish like a bluegill would prove to be a hindrance for finding good labor. However, I do know ( from experience!) that after you clean about a hundred of them, you will get faster and better. I still think that a machine that could cut off the fillets would be a time saver. I'm pretty sure that you are required by law ( may be different in different states) to leave the skin on the fish so the shopper can identify the species and not get tricked into buying a cheaper fish at a higher price. ( example Some stores sold ocean perch ( $3.00/lbs) for red snapper ($7.00/lbs). With no skin on the fish to Identify it, the shopper was paying more for the cheaper fish and couldn't tell!) I have read that some people who recognize the demand for bluegills, are substituting tilapia filet's for them. (again...it's illegal!) ( If you can't tell....The Bluegill is on the right, tilapia on the left!) It's too bad because tilapia, although a great fish, does not taste as good as bluegills. Whatever the processing plant may look like, there will definitely be a requirement for a third party to handle it. It could be as simple as an existing fish processor retooling slightly and integrating the smaller fish into their offerings. As of right now, to the best of my knowledge, Blue Ribbon Fish farm is the only one currently doing it with farm raised bluegill.

Marketing Bluegill as a food fish.

So! How can this be done? It would seem that most people already know of bluegill and many might have even tried it. Yet why are they not harassing their local grocery store to carry them in their fish department? There were a number of studies that I believe were flawed in their results. ( check out page 7 of the study for the conclusion) Their conclusion was that there was a market for walleye but not for bluegill. The flaw I believe was that they were gathering their data from sportsmen at a wildlife banquet. Fishermen have probably already tried bluegill and either prefer other fish or have their own way of preparing them. Basically, they are connoisseur ( or fish snobs! ) My idea of selling bluegills is to let the fish sell themselves. That is let people sample them with the simplest recipe ( rolled in flour and fried in butter) in the grocery store that they are available. You have all seen them in your local grocery before; Selling chicken or pork by allowing customers to sample a prepared piece. And even if you did not go right over and purchase a half pound of the item right then. It at least put the idea out there that the fish is not awful! My mother-in-law is one example of not being familiar with fish or how to cook it. Start the ball rolling small to create a little buzz. It might take a while, but eventually people will grow accustomed to it.

So where do you start with Bluegill aquaculture?

I know it seems like the simple question that is the most complex. But the reality might be something that is no where close to the question. First you might think you need water, fish, food, etc. All the things that are needed to grow and sustain the fish themselves. However, I think it might be something else that has little to do with the growing of the fish. The market! That is right, I am wondering if the demand is that will ultimately determine the future of Bluegills as a farm raised product. I've been told by the Ohio guys from Blue Ribbon Fish Farms that the demand is there and they need growers to meet it. This is good, but then I talk to farmers in Iowa and they don't believe it is feasible to grow a fish to production weight where it would be profitable ( It's all about profit! There is no point in doing something if you cant get something in return for your trouble.) After talking to the Blue ribbon Fish farm, I learned that there is a wonderful government bureaucracy messing up the free flow of live fish across state borders. So fish produced in Iowa can't be shipped ( without lots of red tape and expense,that is, It CAN be done.) to Ohio where they could be processed for food. The alternative is to make a processor here in Iowa that will cut the fish and package and distribute them to the various markets. However, that would mean that the entire supply of fish would have to come from Iowa to meet the food demand. What a MESS! Well, I'm still looking into it, and I don't want this post t be too long. I guess I just don't have much else to blog about today.

The Best way to Eat Bluegills. Fillets!

Ok, I hope everyone is not bored of the bluegill thing yet because I finally have something that I like to talk about and all these topics keep bouncing around in my brain. So What is the best way to eat Bluegills? I know that some of you are thinking there is a recipe that follows, however! The best way to eat bluegills is one right after the other. And the only way to truly enjoy them that way is to have them with out any bones in them. Let's face it: No one likes to pick bones out of their fish! So you are now asking, " How do you get the bones out of such a small fish?" Where it may be true that bluegills are often small, I have used this technique on fish as small as 5 inches! ( yes a potato chip sized fillet is all you get...but they fry up so tasty!) So here is a YouTube video of someone who cleans them the same way I do. The ribs remain on the fish and the fillets are clean and boneless! Enjoy!

The other day I might have mentioned that it is difficult for some people to see what you see when you have an idea or a vision of something. Last Saturday, I had the fortune of talking with a fish farmer who was selling fish in Kalona. When I asked him about growing bluegills for the food market, he seemed a little sketchy, like that will never happen. Now it might be true that I don't have the experience that some people do when they run their own farm. But I do have a degree in fisheries with a focus on aquaculture, and some experience working with a small scale trout farm for both the private sector and the DNR. I have researched the Bluegill question a bit and I know that there are always more questions than answers. But until people start growing bluegills for the food market on a scale where these problems can be solved, people will never have the opportunity to sample one of the best tasting fish. Perhaps by writing a little bit about it every now and then, I can create a little buzz and get people talking. We'll see how far it goes.

The Great Bluegill Idea for Aquaculture

I'm sure that there are times when reason and sanity are placed on the shelf for one to follow a dream, There are always people who will tell you that you can't do something or that it is impossible. And these people might be highly respected, very intelligent folks who have played around with your idea before on a small scale. However, history and especially America, is full of stories of self made men who, against all odds, fought for an idea to become reality and achieved it! They are hailed as visionaries who had "insight" into a certain subject and saw things that no other person could. I'm saying all this because for the longest time, I have thought that the humble bluegill could be grown as a food fish for people. I still believe that they have a great potential to become common in households and on tables around the country. In fact, they probably already are for sportsmen. There are more than a few hurdles that I have to conquer before I can realize this idea. For one, I need to inspire others and get the idea out there. second, I have to find people who grow the fish ( they exist! In Ohio.) Then I need to create a market for these fish. Most people I fear, do not know how to cook them or even that they are edible. Bluegills are one of the simplest fish to cook up! So, without making this blog post too long, I will try to make this a subject that I will come back to time and again. Updating as I hammer out my next phase and see how it goes.

Working for the weekend!

Well, the weekend has finally come and I really don't have much to blog about. I mean...having a job is much more boring than having a business. The business was a constant roller coaster of ups and downs that you never could expect. Plus there always seemed to be a project on the back burner to work on during the "off" time. Even Cheryl, who swore that we would never return to any business venture in the future, comments on how things lack that special spark. Well, money is still the key here, even though we now have jobs. We still lack a significant cash flow to catch up on past bills and store a little away for the future. Last night we were even talking about that one thing we have not yet accomplished. Once we get enough money to get my own computer again, I will probably have more to say on the subject. But until then I'll just have to sit tight and try to keep expenses down. ( A very difficult thing to do!) I still have this bluegill thing on my brain even though I'm not sure where I fit in the puzzle. Well, enough of my rant.... Our project will most likely end in the middle of the week next week, so Cheryl and I will once again be on the hunt for a "filler job" I hear Subway is hiring... Sandwich artists are celebrated more here than in Michigan.

Could Iowa be ready for Aquaculture?

There I go again....I'm in this state less than a month and I'm thinking "what could my next business venture be here?" Cheryl thinks I'm crazy! And after Oak and Chisel, Allenbrite, Picklejar books, and great lake vending all going the way of the Dodo, I'm thinking I'm crazy as well! So here is the scoop: There are only a handful of current operating aquaculture facilities here in Iowa according to my latest Google search. Most of them focus on fee fishing or pond stocking operations. None, That I had researched, grow fish for the seafood industry. You could look at it as 'I've moved the the wrong place!' Or you could look at it as 'this is the Perfect place to get something started!' I'm the latter. Thinking that I, with my limited knowledge and business experience could actually make a go of bluegill aquaculture here. Oh! Have I mentioned that I'm still broke! Yes! Starting another business with no start up capital! Perhaps this is why Cheryl and I are not as successful with our business ventures. Lack of funding! Anyway, here are the reasons that I think that Iowa in general and Wellman/Kalona specifically, could have the potential to spearhead the bluegill aquaculture industry. These small towns are located near several small rivers and tributaries. ( supply of water) I have also seen several plots of land with small ponds already existing on them. Wellman and Kalona seem to be small towns that, after several years of downsizing, are now back on the rise with new blood, new people, and new ideas ready to grow their small town back to its former glory. In Wellman, there are a number of vacant building s that once were used to grow and produce turkeys! When this business folded, it took several families down with it and currently, no one is operating the property. ( a convenient location next to a skilled labor force) So now all I need is MONEY! Money makes life happy and helps grow business like fertilizer to a plant. I also am wondering what the town council would think of my idea and if there is some legal mumbo jumbo that has to take place before we can get the ball rolling. But first, I have to secure my place here and that means getting back in the black and out of the red with our current job. I have not been blogging lately, but this rant has been building up. I can't wait to get some pictures on the blog because the countryside is very pretty. And a picture is worth 1000 words and are not as challenging to read. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Update! I just found an interesting article on the web about just this subject! And...get this....They got their study fish from IOWA! But they are doing the research in Missouri. Anyway, here is a link to the article.