Indianans Develop A Taste For Freshwater Shrimp

Indianans Develop A Taste For Freshwater Shrimp CROPS New Crops The interest in shrimp farming on Midwest farms continues to grow Keith Henderson and his wife Katrina open up their farm on Labor Day weekend to friends and family who pitch in for the shrimp harvest It has turned into an annual tradition for many area folks
    With 5 ponds this year and each pond averaging 300 to 450 lbs of shrimp the Hendersons are hoping for a good harvest despite this summer’s extreme temperatures
    “We were lucky to have a good well so we ran fresh water into them for a couple of days as needed to raise the level and lower the temperature ” Katrina Henderson explains
    This is the couple’s fifth season raising shrimp When Katrina quit teaching to do day care for her grandchildren she and her husband decided to create a seasonal job for her
    They buy juvenile shrimp to place in the ponds around the first of June Mortality rates are high so they stock about 10 000 in each pond Feeding chores take Henderson about half an hour each day She also monitors the ph temperature and oxygen levels
    “The most iffy part is wondering if the shrimp are there ” Henderson says “They are such bottom feeders you never know what you’ve got until you drain the pond ”
    Because her husband had the equipment to dig the ponds it has been easier to keep the costs down The Hendersons added ponds and a processing building over the years paying as they went With the infrastructure in place this year should be the most profitable
    Over Labor Day weekend the Hendersons begin the 5 to 7-hour job of draining the ponds to harvest the shrimp in collection chutes Within just three months the shrimp grow to yield 12 to a pound Though they might grow bigger with a later harvest date the Hendersons prefer not to risk an early frost that would kill the shrimp Over Labor Day weekend they sell most of the shrimp directly to people at the farm at $12/lb The rest is fried boiled or made into shrimp gumbo and sold on-site at their farm
    The event becomes a party with artists wine tasting and other vendors People bring lawn chairs to watch the harvest
    “A lot of people even regulars can’t believe that we do this in Indiana ” Henderson says The fresh water shrimp have a lobster texture and people enjoy getting such an unusual food in Indiana Many people allergic to marine shrimp can eat freshwater shrimp
    This year the Hendersons purchased blue crab and planted them in a pond Like the shrimp they haven’t been seen since The Hendersons can only hope they are there at harvest
    Henderson enjoys the sideline business which is seasonal and low maintenance to run Sons-in-law live trap predators turtles and frogs out of the pond The most important thing is to make sure aerators run constantly she notes
    Apparently more folks in Indiana have developed a taste for freshwater shrimp There were just three farmers in Indiana when the Hendersons started Now there are six Visitor numbers at the Hendersons’ harvest range from 500 to 1 200 over the three-day weekend
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Eddy-Lynn Shrimp Farm 446 S Co Rd 900 E Coatesville Ind 46121 ph 765 386-7496; www shrimpfarminginindiana com

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