Aquaculture

[Anonymous No.189490]

So, I'm moving to michigan for a career in agriculture. They do corn, beans, beef, pork, sugarbeets, and a handful of other crops I'm not very familiar with up there.

I've been watching fish-farming videos lately. http://youtu.be/4eAXwk2orY0

There's places in Ohio that deal cleaned fish direct-to-restaurants. Still in the midst of doing research. Michigan has low rents and ass-loads of freshwater. This, I think, may prove to be a huge advantage...

Fish-farming: Have you seen any in operation? Any reactions? How much would you pay for farm-fresh tilapia or trout?

[General Vagueness No.189499]

Michiganian here, I've never heard of any fish farming going on in the Great Lakes, and I bet there's a reason for that-- too cold? too much boating? weird impurities? regulations from when iron and copper were shipped downstream en masse? IDK but I wouldn't be surprised by any of it; the rest of the lakes are probably too small (and quite possibly too polluted)
good luck though, especially if you can create some jobs around here

[Anonymous No.189501]

>further research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaculture
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/420/420-897/420-897.html
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/category/aquaculture-seafood.html
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/v9878e/v9878e00.HTM


>Commercial Frog Farming

[Anonymous No.189504]

http://michiganaquaculture.org/

[Anonymous No.189510]

I am also looking to move to Michigan to work in agriculture. AP has been a hobby of mine here in the chicago area and was planning on moving to a large area to expand from my fishtank set up to a large outdoor set up. I have been reading a ton on backyardaquaponics.com/forum/ to get good info.
There are a ton of scammers out there selling info and fake shit plus they say you can overstock like crazy and shit but stick to the byap forums for legit info. I had a decent job lined up but that is gone but still want to hit the west coast on MI for the weather as the crops I want to try like the milder winter it provides. I think I would do bluegill,perch,trout,or maybe catfish there. Frogs? maybe. I would like to raise marron from AU as well. Large crayfish might work.

[Radiofag No.189520]

I'm near Kalamazoo.

I hope you like snow.

[Anonymous No.189548]

>>189510
What kind of setup do have going now? I'm going to be off the east side of michigan, but are there any major pollution concerns in the lakewater? I know there are a lot of problems and legislation that deals with invasive species. Is that an issue for you?

[Anonymous No.189569]

Windsorfag here.
The great lakes are polluted to shit.
The sediments of the detroit river is polluted in some areas to the point where you will get chemical burns.

You can probably farm decent fish, but just remember to cut out the mud vein, and test the water frequently.

[Anonymous No.189571]

>>189548
I have 0 going right now as I work with hundreds of pounds of bulk open loose tobacco so I am covered in mosaic virus and other vectors for sure. I had a small indoor system going with piranha and goldfish testing out AP while I did most stuff hydro. I think I learned enough to go ahead and go bigger. I want to grow herbs like basil and maybe shoot for specialty herbs needed with whatever local products I can find demand for. I used to help my friend raise fish for resale so breeding out fish and making food from waste products are in my arsenal already so I have a good hand on keeping the budget low. I also am familiar with fiberglass an experienced pipe-fitter/plumber (local 597 FTW) and have dealt with plenty of electrical automation in my former line of work. I just think at this point in my life I could make a go of it.

[Anonymous No.189605]

>>189569
Windsor = Detroit, yes? I'm trying to track down numbers further north. I'm going to be in the northern end of Huron County. (potentially) It seems like most of the hardcore pollution would come from either detroit or chicago... Hmm. Will look for more information. I keep looking at photos of the huge setups from SE asia and I'm just wondering why we couldn't do something like that up here. Pollution would seem like something they have to deal with (or ignore D: )... Is it just a question of moving further north?


>>189571
Those pneumatic roll-your-own smoke shops are so cool. I'm in Virginia atm, and there is a shop that skirts the law by letting you borrow their industrial size machine for a few minutes. $22 per carton ftw. We had an FFA group in school that experimented with Tilapia tanks. They'd forget to check them once a month and the entire school smelled like dead fish. lol

[Anonymous No.189608]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bar82jvGvPE

[Anonymous No.189668]

yeah I am working at a RYO machine store. We are in cook county and they just added 30 cents an ounce to the loose tabacco and 10 cents per unit that come out of the machine. It added 22.40 to each carton so we where at 27.06 after tax now have to add 22.40 to that. FFFFFUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuu my friend spent tons remodeling this family owned building buying 2 39000 dollar machines and getting inventory only to be hammered by the taxman. I know may go do AP as a work/hobby and finding a plumbing or auto tech job in michigan or I am going to get a loan buy the RYO machines from my fiend then go to WI where they fought the laws against the RYO machines and won. I quit smoking years ago but these machines save people so much money it ridiculous. I have to say I get chicago water here and plants love it fish love it its really clean. I imagine its similar across the lake as well.

[General Vagueness No.189693]

>>189605
Windsor is across the river from Detroit, yes, and anywhere in the lakes except Lake Superior and a small section of Lake Michigan, anything that comes out of Chicago is going to flow by-- it'll be more diluted by then, but still
the population drops off relatively quickly as you head north but there are some minor cities, local urban centers like Midland and Alpena and Grand Rapids (or was it Grand Traverse? I always get those two mixed up)
if you're thinking about the UP, that is, as they say, a whole different kettle of fish-- the population is, expectedly, lower, but it's also different in some other ways (the population and the place)

[Anonymous No.189697]

more crap pollution comes from WI then chicago. The waste treatment plants in cook county and its water system is treated with high priority. However in Wi you can literally see the poo coming from there on google maps. Beaches in chicago have to be closed sometimes due to it but the water intakes for the water system are out in the lake far enough and the treatment plants clean it I never heard of any problems.

[Anonymous No.189702]

>>189693
Current plan (WIP): Find farmer's markets/venues for sale of fish. Get Michigan Aquaculture permit and inspection. ($100 registration, $75 annual renewal.) Dig out and prepare pond. Get small variety of fish. Raise, feed fish. Clean/vaccum seal fish. Sell to farmer's market hipsters for small markup on store prices. ??? Profit.

I can't shake the feeling that raising fish in floating cages or on a netted part of the lake might be significantly cheaper as far as upkeep and electricity are concerned... Perhaps a visit with an agricultural consulting firm is in order... Evading winter is something to look at, too.

MI License info: http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1569_16979_21263---,00.html

MI Regulations page: http://michiganaquaculture.org/michigan-aquaculture/regulations-government-contacts

Some of the species available semi-locally:
largemouth bass
smallmouth bass
hybrid bluegill
brook trout
brown trout
rainbow trout
walleye
yellow perch
flathead catfish
lake sturgeon
atlantic salmon
chinook salmon
coho salmon
pink salmon

[Anonymous No.189719]

>>189702
Invasive species are a big deal in MI right now. Laws are currently undergoing revision.

http://michiganaquaculture.org/2012/03/27/michigans-aquatic-invasive-species-plan-updated/

[Anonymous No.189723]

Great Lakes Whitefish is currently on the upswing. See: Legends of the Lakes, a growing brand of MI Whitefish. Could it be farmed?

[Anonymous No.189733]

whitefish looks decent in that it can eat mussels so fishmeal pellets and fly larvea might be good as well as home pelleted food from fishmonger waste and other scraps. Growth rates seem decent for the first year but they like cooler deeper water so its a trout style grow op it seems. Are the fillets worth it over trout? What they sell for and how well food converts into flesh along with how well they will do in a smaller cramped location might make or break it from what I have seen. Tilapia rock as even in a large tank they huddle together so they don't mind cramped locations if anything they freaking love it. MI however is to chilly to run them cheap unless you have a place with free heat and lots of it.