Very much to the point Bill, and you are correct in that I have already accepted the input will be much greater than the return monetarily. It is very much a hobby, one I hope to continue. If I can fill a need while getting an education I would consider that a success. As for "long-term", that's a good question and one of the reasons the folks I work with at the state level are supporting me in this. By keeping that door open and working with them with proper permits, I may have the opportunity to obtain species not available in other situations, one being Saugeye. They stock these in fry form only but have a need for several hundred intermediates every year that logistically, doesn't work with hatchery space. Is this a target? It could be if my payment for growing out low numbers means I get a few hundred for payment. Not really my goal but something I've already discussed with them.
I can also tell by your comments that I need to give this more thought as to whether I should even try this. I guess we all measure success differently but the only down side I see is more hands-on.
Now I feel like I'm defending what I want to do..
Tomorrow I'm meeting with the engineering firm to try and get some help putting my desires on paper.
