Philpot farm family raising saltwater shrimp

Oct. 7—When it comes to farming in western Kentucky, raising row crops, cattle and even chickens are the norm.

But with the closest ocean eight hours away, the notion of finding saltwater shrimp being raised in a landlocked state would seem almost impossible.

Don't tell that to Kenny and Becky Fischer of Fischer's Family Farm, 5760 Little Hickory Road, in Philpot.

In November, they plan to have their first saltwater shrimp harvest.

"Instead of turkey for Thanksgiving, we may have a shrimp boil," Becky Fischer said.

Inside their barn, Kenny Fischer built a separate, self-contained area with an above-ground saltwater pool containing 4,100 shrimp that have been growing in size since August.

Kenny Fischer began researching how to raise saltwater shrimp as a way to diversify his ag portfolio.

"It's just something nobody else around here is doing," he said. "Most everything else there's already a lot of competition."

As he became more serious about raising saltwater shrimp, Kenny Fischer reached out to Kentucky State University's aquaculture department for guidance.

"If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be doing this at all," Kenny Fischer said.

He said the pool water has to maintain a temperature between 82 and 85 degrees.

"We heat the water; we don't heat the room," he said.

But that's just one of the factors that stands between a successful harvest or losing the entire stock.

It is operated through a biofloc system, which relies on the symbiosis of shrimp and bacteria.

The Fischers test the water twice a day, keeping a detailed chart of any changes that could prevent the shrimp from thriving.

The Fischers, along with their daughter, Laura, will also receive an alert on their phones if the pool loses power, which means no oxygen or heat. They keep a backup generator ready if the power fails.

"We write everything down, because if you start to see a problem, you fix it immediately," Kenny Fischer said. "It doesn't take but a little bit to have 4,000 dead shrimp in here. It's very particular. If the oxygen shuts off, within an hour they'll all be dead."

The Fischers are raising a variety called Pacific white shrimp, which are native to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Once they're ready to harvest, the Fischers will be selling them by the pound from their farm.

The Fischers said they're not licensed processors so they have to be sold alive.

Although they could harvest them now as "jumbo shrimp," waiting until November will allow the shrimp to grow even larger.

"We're looking for colossal, which will take about 16 to make a pound," Becky Fischer said.

The goal is to eventually add more saltwater pools along with a nursery to raise them from start to finish.

But the Fischers said expansion will depend on how well the product sells after the harvest.

Becky Fischer said she and her husband view raising shrimp as something to do as they keep putting off retirement.

"I've tried to retire but it didn't work," Becky Fischer said. "So you may as well be able to eat what you do."

Clint Hardy is the agricultural extension agent for the Daviess County Extension Office. He can be reached at 270-685-8480.