New guy here.

Working with "Highflyer" and learning about fish. I'm lucky to be working with & learning from him.

Plans next Spring are TBD but, I hope to have my own Tilapia "farm" up and running.

Sid
Welcome to PB forum. You raising tilapia for eating or selling?
Keep us updated

Pat W

Hi Sid, welcome to PondBoss!
A friend of "HighFlyer" is a friend of mine - I know you already - just haven't shook your hand...
George Glazener

Right now they are mainly for algea control but, they taste good too.

TBD plans are commercial for consumption at the retail level. Might do fry for algea control resale too.

Yea, Brian called while you guys were out. That Tetra pump was a real life saver when the tilapia nearly froze out.

Look forward to meeting you in person next time.

Sid

Thanks Sid

Look forward to seeing how this plays out


Pat W

Welcome Sid? Have you checked into regulations/laws re selling fish for consumption? I haven't and know nothing about it.

Farmer's markets are pretty easy except for liability protection.

Commercial consumption is more complicated. Health codes and other issues come into play like it would with a restaraunt. I have been to the county health department but definitely need to do more research. Casual discussions with a lawyer have also happened (i.e. liability protection).

Sid

You might get hold to some of the fish markets in Kemah and Seabrook area this folks buy lots of fish from individuals . I used to sell a lot of offshore fish to them when it was legal


Pat W

Sid is like a brother to me.

That said he is also one of the smartest people I know. Sid does his homework to complete understanding before heading off on a objective. Sid "Learning" to farm fish is just another farming adventure for him. Sid put himself through collage farming wheat and cattle. While the corral maybe different, if Sid goes forward with this, it will be with great success. And I get to be a small part of that success.

Sid, welcome to the forum. Up here, the Tilapia grower that sells for consumption sells whole, live fish. Once a knife is put to the fish the set of rules change in a big way.

Yes, state laws vary from state to state. Around where I live, farmer's markets have some relaxed rules but, I want to stay in full compliance with state law and sell to the more profitable venue's. If a restaurant wants whole live fish, or whole fish on ice, that is an easier option for me but as volume increases, the need to partially prepare them increases.

The cost (increased hand labor & state compliance issues) will be weighed against the profitability and fish volume to help ensure I have a viable business plan that has a high probability of success.

That's the way to do it. Go into it with your eyes wide open and check every aspect of what you propose to do.

One or 2 other things. If people are coming to you to pick up fish, bio security of your growing tanks is something to think about. Have the fish to be picked up in a different area than the growing fish.

If you are delivering the fish, hauling tanks on trailer or a truck, with LOx. LOx is less expensive in the long run (per unit) than compressed O2.

Thanks for bringing this topic up!

Bio security is something I am very familiar with having worked in a commercial dairy and around a pig breeding farm. Not to mention trips to commercial butchers. Having personally had Campylobacter Jejuni twice, there is more at risk than just animal health and considering I have other livestock on premises, cross contamination is something that will be prevented. Reducing random foot traffic is a big part of preventing cross contamination and introducing unwanted agents into the animal and people populations. Feed security and pest control are also issues to be addressed.

I also have other livestock on premises so, bio security and cross contamination are much bigger problems than just a public exposure issue.

At various points through college, I have worked a very broad range of farming and animal production activities though, the vast majority was centered around beef production, show cattle, and wheat. I should note that I earned my American Farmer degree from the FFA while an engineering student in college so, in addition to practical experience on a farm, dairy, and wheat field, I have a good solid academic background in agriculture which has been supplemented by a variety of extracurricular agricultural "adventures".

Compressed gases are a whole different set of challenges. I am a certified Hyperbaric Chamber Operator and a former EMT so, medical oxygen and compressed atmosphere is something I know a lot about. I have also worked with a lot of Liquid Nitrogen and various other specialized gases and liquids.

Hey we have some things in common. I also earned the American Farmer degree. Am a scuba diver and hope to never see the inside of a hyperbaric chamber. Familiar with enteritis also as we used to have a commercial turkey grow out facility as part of our farming operation. The manure was the best part of that deal.

Welcome to PBF

After building wildlife food plots, my respect for the American farmer has gone way up the scale. And that manure would be great on my plots. Wish u were closer Snrub