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You want me to get that lift out of

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your shot?

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No, no, you're good

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Like, do you want me to be speaking

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to you, to talk to you?

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Perfect, sounds good.

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So...

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So just to give you an idea, we'll

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probably come back at some point

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and find a place that's quiet,

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controlled environment to do a

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longer interview.

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For sure. So this is just more of

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like informative background to get

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video of you showing off the place.

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Don't feel like every little detail

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of the history needs to be there.

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Just kind of give us the idea of

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what we're looking at here.

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Sounds good, yeah.

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Also with that, I'm happy if we, you

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know, meet in Eau Claire or

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something for that week, we can

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figure that out.

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But, awesome.

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So, this is where

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everything starts.

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This is where our fish are.

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Two 1,000 gallon tanks.

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And when we first started

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this, both me and my partner Trent

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have a background in growing plants.

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I was a

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third generation greenhouse owner.

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Trent was a dairy farmer and

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we knew we wanted to start something

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based off local food production

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and we first

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were kind of heard about

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land-based fish farming

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through places like Superior

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Fresh,

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00:01:46,180 --> 00:01:47,999
Aqua Bounty, a couple bigger

44
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salmon farms and then we were

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interested in salmon farming but

46
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found out that to start in salmon

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00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:54,659
farming you needed that economy of

48
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scale, potentially millions of

49
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dollars, which In our early 20s,

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we weren't in a position to start

51
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that. So then we just looked,

52
00:02:01,700 --> 00:02:03,859
OK, what other fish are options?

53
00:02:03,860 --> 00:02:05,479
How do you start it at a scale that

54
00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:06,480
works for us?

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So aquaponics, we saw some smaller

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aquaponic facilities that we

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figured, you know, that's a scale

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that could work for us.

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We didn't really want to use

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tilapia. Tilapia are really common

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in aquaponix there.

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You know, Nile, Tilapia,

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so from origins in Africa, which

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we didn't really feel great about

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bringing that into a pristine

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environment in our local Wisconsin

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waters.

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So we wanted a Wisconsin fish.

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First fish we had an idea of was

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that yellow perch at a green bay

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because that was the original

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Wisconsin fish fry.

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We started off raising 200 yellow

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perch and they say you're not fish

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farming until you kill

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some fish.

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00:02:45,870 --> 00:02:47,329
I said I'm not going to kill any

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fish.

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Pretty quickly I killed 198

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of those perch and had two really

81
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nice perch left, but I figured, you

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00:02:53,410 --> 00:02:54,829
know, maybe we've got to try

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00:02:54,830 --> 00:02:55,829
something else.

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00:02:55,830 --> 00:02:57,709
The perch, you can raise them in

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00:02:57,710 --> 00:02:59,649
aquaculture, but they don't take

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00:02:59,650 --> 00:03:01,050
to the feed quite as well.

87
00:03:02,250 --> 00:03:03,869
Their temperament is a little bit

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jumpier. They like to jump out of

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00:03:05,090 --> 00:03:07,769
the tanks or get in

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00:03:07,770 --> 00:03:09,439
a tube with the system if they can.

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Whereas the walleye are just a

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little bit more chill.

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00:03:12,340 --> 00:03:14,139
They like a little bit of cloudy

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water occasionally.

95
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They don't like the lights being

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right on them.

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00:03:18,220 --> 00:03:20,219
They do great at 70 degrees,

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which is what you can feel it in our

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building right now.

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It's 40 degrees outside, 70 degrees

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in here.

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00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:27,319
Great for our plants and that's

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where fish are happiest at as

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well.

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And the whole thing with fish is

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if you're wondering about how happy

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are they?

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How good are they doing?

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It's all based off the feed.

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If there's any sort of, if the

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fish are stressed, they're

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not going to eat.

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So when they're happy,

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that's when you see them lunching on

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the food. That means they're doing

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good, they are feeling good.

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So how many do you have, and do you

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just jump up on here?

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00:03:54,750 --> 00:03:55,979
Is that how you look at it, or?

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Yeah so and it's pretty

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00:03:57,840 --> 00:03:59,419
it's pretty cloudy right now so you

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really can't see too much.

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00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,299
But we have about a thousand

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fish in here, a couple

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hundred in here.

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These ones are younger cohort

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so these are a little bit under a

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year. These guys are a bit under

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two years old.

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So these ones, average

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fish is about 10

132
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to 12 ounces and in here

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we have some that are up

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Two and a half pounds so

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not quite as big as what we saw at

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NADF yesterday not quite as big is

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what's in the Menominee River but

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really proud of getting them to that

139
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size and getting it to you know

140
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market size and once we

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get it there and if you

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compare that with how long it takes

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in the wild it's about 20

144
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percent so it's

145
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a little over it's a year and

146
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a half rather than five and a half

147
00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:48,819
years to get them to the one pound

148
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size. Once we

149
00:04:51,180 --> 00:04:52,719
raise them and throughout their life

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they're producing all of our

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nutrients for our plants.

152
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And once they're ready, once they

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are that market size, we put them in

154
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a purge system over here so

155
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that is straight flow through system

156
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of well water.

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We'll give the fish a little bit of

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epsom salt and that cleans them out

159
00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,399
just like it would me and you and

160
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then they're left with nothing in

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their body.

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They go for three or four days in

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straight well water perfectly

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clean filets.

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We know what they've eaten their

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entire lives.

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It's this

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pelleted feed.

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So that's 55% protein.

170
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So you keep the

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growth rates up,

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00:05:35,070 --> 00:05:36,369
you keep them producing a bunch of

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nutrients and they're just very

174
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healthy fish because of that.

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Canadian fish food, so the economy

176
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is pretty interesting right now.

177
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We're working on

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00:05:45,930 --> 00:05:47,849
a couple of companies to try to

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00:05:47,850 --> 00:05:49,749
get a walleye blend of

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food that's domestically produced

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00:05:51,350 --> 00:05:54,069
because there is a non-proprietary

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blend that's out there, that's been

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done. Someone just needs to

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take it on.

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So we're kind of working on

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connecting enough companies

187
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where that order is enough scale for

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those producers to produce it.

189
00:06:08,190 --> 00:06:09,231
But once,

190
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so the fish are

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00:06:13,090 --> 00:06:15,569
living in here and

192
00:06:15,570 --> 00:06:18,169
their water is recirculating.

193
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Clean water comes from our AST

194
00:06:20,350 --> 00:06:22,709
filter and comes back after

195
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being filtered.

196
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And then you see a

197
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,739
small

198
00:06:27,740 --> 00:06:29,299
valve over there we can go around

199
00:06:29,300 --> 00:06:31,139
and see that but you open that valve

200
00:06:31,140 --> 00:06:32,739
and that's what brings our

201
00:06:32,740 --> 00:06:34,719
concentrated nutrients from our fish

202
00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:36,699
into our plant loop and then we

203
00:06:36,700 --> 00:06:38,939
have kind of three more rounds of

204
00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:40,759
filtration so that by the time

205
00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,139
it gets to our plants we have no

206
00:06:43,140 --> 00:06:45,219
fish food solids in there it's

207
00:06:45,220 --> 00:06:47,179
all soluble nutrients so

208
00:06:47,180 --> 00:06:48,819
food safety wise that's really good

209
00:06:48,820 --> 00:06:50,859
and just standard

210
00:06:50,860 --> 00:06:52,179
operating procedures wise so we

211
00:06:52,180 --> 00:06:53,919
don't get all clogged up in our

212
00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:55,499
tubes and our towers and everything.

213
00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:02,439
We have the same strain, so

214
00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:04,039
these are all from the NADF

215
00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:05,879
facility, so a Jifua

216
00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:07,299
strain of walleye.

217
00:07:07,300 --> 00:07:09,179
We have seen, we

218
00:07:09,180 --> 00:07:10,519
started off raising a Green Bay

219
00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:11,779
strain of Walleye.

220
00:07:11,780 --> 00:07:13,159
It's going to be really interesting

221
00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:15,999
to see. I'm hoping NADS

222
00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,959
gets their funding and

223
00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:19,979
does this study on.

224
00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:21,839
Comparing the different strains of

225
00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:22,879
walleye you know the agricultural

226
00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:24,739
industry has been doing this for

227
00:07:24,740 --> 00:07:26,219
hundreds of years picking the right

228
00:07:26,220 --> 00:07:28,479
cow picking the wrong corn now

229
00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:29,839
we're working on picking the right

230
00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,959
walleye that really suits

231
00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:34,999
uh suits uh raising like

232
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:36,979
this we also hope to eventually get

233
00:07:36,980 --> 00:07:39,259
into stocking so the

234
00:07:39,260 --> 00:07:41,019
strains end up being very important

235
00:07:41,020 --> 00:07:42,999
because the DNR wants to keep

236
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,399
strain specific walleye

237
00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,279
in specific bodies of

238
00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,509
water so that If a walleye

239
00:07:49,510 --> 00:07:51,029
strain has produced in there, they

240
00:07:51,030 --> 00:07:52,769
figure they want to keep that strain

241
00:07:52,770 --> 00:07:54,370
consistent.

242
00:07:57,270 --> 00:07:58,769
New tank's going to go right over

243
00:07:58,770 --> 00:08:00,789
here, so we got to make some

244
00:08:00,790 --> 00:08:01,790
room.

245
00:08:02,730 --> 00:08:04,829
My grandpa made this coat rack,

246
00:08:04,830 --> 00:08:05,929
which we'll keep in here.

247
00:08:05,930 --> 00:08:07,909
He'd be too disappointed if not, but

248
00:08:07,910 --> 00:08:10,189
we'll make some room and

249
00:08:10,190 --> 00:08:12,209
that'll get us

250
00:08:12,210 --> 00:08:13,269
quite a bit more production

251
00:08:13,270 --> 00:08:14,270
capability.

252
00:08:18,550 --> 00:08:20,529
Our big fish are

253
00:08:20,530 --> 00:08:21,809
our athletes.

254
00:08:21,810 --> 00:08:23,349
They're the hardest to net.

255
00:08:23,350 --> 00:08:25,149
So when I just blindly scoop in

256
00:08:25,150 --> 00:08:25,989
there, I'm probably going to get

257
00:08:25,990 --> 00:08:27,289
some smaller ones, but there's a

258
00:08:27,290 --> 00:08:29,230
chance I get a big one.

259
00:08:30,590 --> 00:08:31,729
They're going to splash a little

260
00:08:31,730 --> 00:08:32,730
bit.

261
00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:39,538
Here's a couple of ours.

262
00:08:39,539 --> 00:08:41,158
So those are all just under what we

263
00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:43,199
would harvest right now.

264
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,179
That's probably just getting to a

265
00:08:45,180 --> 00:08:46,180
pound.

266
00:08:52,620 --> 00:08:54,079
I know the spots they like to hang

267
00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:55,539
out. I'll try to get them.

268
00:08:55,540 --> 00:08:56,540
Get a big one.

269
00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:23,759
So here would be a nice one that we

270
00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:25,719
put in the first system right now.

271
00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,879
Probably just under

272
00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:29,759
two pounds, I would say, this guy

273
00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,139
here. But you get that nice color.

274
00:09:32,140 --> 00:09:33,959
They're kind of a consistent,

275
00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:35,199
based off the strain.

276
00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:36,419
That's kind of where you see the

277
00:09:36,420 --> 00:09:37,719
strain differences in the color,

278
00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:38,720
mostly.

279
00:09:39,940 --> 00:09:41,799
But yeah, real, real happy with

280
00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,039
the size,

281
00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:45,659
belly, filet yield.

282
00:09:45,660 --> 00:09:47,759
Well, about half of this fish

283
00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:49,460
weight will be in filet.

284
00:09:52,500 --> 00:09:54,739
This feed is trickling in 24

285
00:09:54,740 --> 00:09:56,000
hours a day,

286
00:09:57,700 --> 00:09:59,659
so while I was in there, they do

287
00:09:59,660 --> 00:10:01,279
have their own personalities.

288
00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:02,479
Like I said, your bigger ones are

289
00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,339
more your athletes, you're kind of

290
00:10:04,340 --> 00:10:05,859
your bully fish a little bit too.

291
00:10:05,860 --> 00:10:08,179
They'll eat first, so the idea is

292
00:10:08,180 --> 00:10:10,699
you have food trickling in there

293
00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:12,799
all day, all day long,

294
00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:14,849
so if bully fish get full,

295
00:10:14,850 --> 00:10:16,309
and then the other fish get a chance

296
00:10:16,310 --> 00:10:17,689
to eat. That way you're not dealing

297
00:10:17,690 --> 00:10:18,770
with any nippin.

298
00:10:20,030 --> 00:10:21,709
While I are young, you do have to

299
00:10:21,710 --> 00:10:22,569
worry a little bit about

300
00:10:22,570 --> 00:10:24,329
cannibalization.

301
00:10:24,330 --> 00:10:26,449
So the constant feed

302
00:10:26,450 --> 00:10:27,909
helps, and when they're really young

303
00:10:27,910 --> 00:10:29,109
you might add a little bit of

304
00:10:29,110 --> 00:10:30,969
plateful water to actually make

305
00:10:30,970 --> 00:10:32,769
it a little more murky for them to

306
00:10:32,770 --> 00:10:33,770
make it harder

307
00:10:39,490 --> 00:10:42,029
Us are about that $800,

308
00:10:42,030 --> 00:10:44,069
$900, so

309
00:10:44,070 --> 00:10:46,089
all real similar per

310
00:10:46,090 --> 00:10:48,229
square foot to a single-family home.

311
00:10:48,230 --> 00:10:50,169
What we produce or what we

312
00:10:50,170 --> 00:10:52,029
burn in electric and

313
00:10:52,030 --> 00:10:53,609
heat and a big reason for that like

314
00:10:53,610 --> 00:10:55,129
you mentioned that the insulation

315
00:10:55,130 --> 00:10:57,069
helps out having the lights and

316
00:10:57,070 --> 00:10:58,269
having the water.

317
00:10:58,270 --> 00:10:59,949
Water in the building is the source

318
00:10:59,950 --> 00:11:01,929
of you know insulation or ambient

319
00:11:01,930 --> 00:11:04,229
heat that stays in here.

320
00:11:04,230 --> 00:11:07,069
With the electricity is we

321
00:11:07,070 --> 00:11:08,850
have our lights on light movers.

322
00:11:10,130 --> 00:11:12,309
So that way it's

323
00:11:12,310 --> 00:11:14,149
just kind of trying to mimic

324
00:11:14,150 --> 00:11:15,889
the sun, you know, varying degrees

325
00:11:15,890 --> 00:11:17,669
of intensity throughout the day.

326
00:11:17,670 --> 00:11:19,129
Whereas if you just had one LED

327
00:11:19,130 --> 00:11:20,849
light, that plant would want to grow

328
00:11:20,850 --> 00:11:22,729
straight towards that light, long

329
00:11:22,730 --> 00:11:24,389
and leggy, not much yield, not as

330
00:11:24,390 --> 00:11:25,449
healthy of a plant where you get

331
00:11:25,450 --> 00:11:26,849
varying degrees of density.

332
00:11:26,850 --> 00:11:28,429
It grows out every which direction.

333
00:11:30,990 --> 00:11:33,429
Plants are really largely

334
00:11:33,430 --> 00:11:34,989
based off the nutrients that we get

335
00:11:34,990 --> 00:11:37,229
from our fish we have to

336
00:11:37,230 --> 00:11:39,169
add calcium and

337
00:11:39,170 --> 00:11:41,509
potassium because the nitrification

338
00:11:41,510 --> 00:11:43,349
process of our fish the pH

339
00:11:43,350 --> 00:11:45,389
is always lowering so

340
00:11:45,390 --> 00:11:47,489
we need to bring that up and yeah

341
00:11:47,490 --> 00:11:49,489
we kind of get two birds stoned at

342
00:11:49,490 --> 00:11:51,949
once because we give them the

343
00:11:51,950 --> 00:11:53,569
those nutrients potassium and

344
00:11:53,570 --> 00:11:55,309
calcium that's a good add to

345
00:11:55,310 --> 00:11:57,209
aquaponic water anyway and

346
00:11:57,210 --> 00:11:59,729
we're raising the pH.

347
00:11:59,730 --> 00:12:01,529
The one nutrient that kind of has to

348
00:12:01,530 --> 00:12:03,649
be added in and of itself,

349
00:12:03,650 --> 00:12:04,709
that's not necessarily another

350
00:12:04,710 --> 00:12:06,189
benefit is iron.

351
00:12:06,190 --> 00:12:07,609
Just randomly the fish don't really

352
00:12:07,610 --> 00:12:08,829
produce iron.

353
00:12:08,830 --> 00:12:10,029
The plants need it.

354
00:12:11,070 --> 00:12:12,949
But you see here,

355
00:12:12,950 --> 00:12:15,009
so part of the reason why I say we

356
00:12:15,010 --> 00:12:17,129
need to get, be very serious

357
00:12:17,130 --> 00:12:18,709
about our filtration is just how

358
00:12:18,710 --> 00:12:21,069
skinny our lines get here.

359
00:12:21,070 --> 00:12:22,829
If we had any sort of solids in

360
00:12:22,830 --> 00:12:24,049
there, it would get clogged up

361
00:12:24,050 --> 00:12:25,050
really easily.

362
00:12:26,010 --> 00:12:27,849
Each one of these has a float

363
00:12:27,850 --> 00:12:28,850
valve in it.

364
00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,479
There is about 20 gallons of water

365
00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:32,499
in here.

366
00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:34,739
One tower will use about

367
00:12:34,740 --> 00:12:37,199
one gallon of water per day.

368
00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:38,299
Full valve opens up.

369
00:12:38,300 --> 00:12:40,339
We trickle water in.

370
00:12:40,340 --> 00:12:42,219
And then there's some

371
00:12:42,220 --> 00:12:44,239
pump in the bottom there, as

372
00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,059
you see going on right here with our

373
00:12:46,060 --> 00:12:47,819
baby rosemary.

374
00:12:47,820 --> 00:12:49,619
Sends water to the top, trickles

375
00:12:49,620 --> 00:12:51,519
down, and then it's off for about

376
00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:52,959
40 minutes. So you get that really

377
00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:54,479
nice flood and drain where the

378
00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,159
plants actually get a little bit

379
00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:57,249
thirsty.

380
00:12:57,250 --> 00:12:59,329
Um and that's also

381
00:12:59,330 --> 00:13:00,989
kind of representative of where

382
00:13:00,990 --> 00:13:02,269
these plants came from.

383
00:13:02,270 --> 00:13:04,069
A lot of the herbs are Mediterranean

384
00:13:04,070 --> 00:13:05,729
in origin so they're used to a

385
00:13:05,730 --> 00:13:06,730
sandier soil,

386
00:13:08,110 --> 00:13:10,009
they get heavy rain, get

387
00:13:10,010 --> 00:13:11,849
dried out for a while and

388
00:13:11,850 --> 00:13:13,289
so we're kind of replicating that

389
00:13:13,290 --> 00:13:15,149
here. So we're able to grow you see

390
00:13:15,150 --> 00:13:17,249
some rosemary up

391
00:13:17,250 --> 00:13:19,889
here on this tower, sage,

392
00:13:19,890 --> 00:13:21,909
thyme over here, so

393
00:13:21,910 --> 00:13:24,208
all those stickier

394
00:13:24,209 --> 00:13:26,109
more woody crops we're able

395
00:13:26,110 --> 00:13:29,069
to grow on the towers and

396
00:13:29,070 --> 00:13:31,329
then kind of a wide variety

397
00:13:31,330 --> 00:13:33,229
beyond that too.

398
00:13:33,230 --> 00:13:35,389
Tomatoes were able to do and the

399
00:13:35,390 --> 00:13:37,409
fish really produced mostly nitrate

400
00:13:37,410 --> 00:13:39,529
so that's nitrate

401
00:13:39,530 --> 00:13:40,909
is what you need for vegetative

402
00:13:40,910 --> 00:13:43,129
crops so that's your before fruiting

403
00:13:43,130 --> 00:13:44,829
or flowering or you know if it's a

404
00:13:44,830 --> 00:13:46,749
crop that doesn't fruit or flower so

405
00:13:46,750 --> 00:13:48,849
all your herbs all your salad is

406
00:13:48,850 --> 00:13:50,330
in that So, um.

407
00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:53,359
Our fish water has actually produced

408
00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:54,699
enough nutrients where we can

409
00:13:54,700 --> 00:13:56,239
produce pretty nice and great

410
00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:57,859
tasting tomatoes too.

411
00:13:57,860 --> 00:13:59,379
Just cherry tomatoes because we need

412
00:13:59,380 --> 00:14:01,639
to support them on the towers,

413
00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:03,539
but yeah, we've

414
00:14:03,540 --> 00:14:04,839
been pretty happy with the taste

415
00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:06,039
anyway.

416
00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,359
And then you see kind of

417
00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,559
over here on the other side,

418
00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:12,319
that's our deep water culture unit

419
00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:14,199
and that's kind of

420
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,339
more common to use for

421
00:14:16,340 --> 00:14:18,059
aquaponics, hydroponics, just that

422
00:14:18,060 --> 00:14:19,359
trough of water.

423
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:20,599
It's a little bit simpler of the

424
00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,279
system and can work for a lot of

425
00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:23,759
different crops. We have our mint in

426
00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,459
there. It does amazing.

427
00:14:25,460 --> 00:14:27,639
But for us, the towers allowed

428
00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:31,519
for a little more food

429
00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,639
safety, more variety,

430
00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,599
and just a little a bit more control

431
00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,779
with what we could do.

432
00:14:38,780 --> 00:14:40,879
And our towers

433
00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,079
keep the water more

434
00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,059
separate from the actual plant

435
00:14:45,060 --> 00:14:46,919
because it is fish water at the

436
00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:47,809
end of the day.

437
00:14:47,810 --> 00:14:49,809
Keeping it separate no contact there

438
00:14:49,810 --> 00:14:51,649
just very food safe is

439
00:14:51,650 --> 00:14:52,789
the name of the game for us.

440
00:14:54,370 --> 00:14:56,149
But we are you know just like our

441
00:14:56,150 --> 00:14:58,069
fish water is being recirculated,

442
00:14:58,070 --> 00:14:59,109
our plant water is being

443
00:14:59,110 --> 00:15:01,069
reciculated, our air is moving

444
00:15:01,070 --> 00:15:03,549
around all indoor and

445
00:15:03,550 --> 00:15:05,170
the reuse of everything the

446
00:15:06,230 --> 00:15:07,409
main lesson we've learned is just

447
00:15:07,410 --> 00:15:09,109
keeping everything super clean

448
00:15:09,110 --> 00:15:11,109
disinfected both fish and

449
00:15:11,110 --> 00:15:13,029
plants because you

450
00:15:13,030 --> 00:15:14,589
just need biological life to grow

451
00:15:14,590 --> 00:15:16,379
you can't get You can't let...

452
00:15:16,380 --> 00:15:18,279
Other bad biology get in

453
00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:19,599
the way of that.

454
00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:21,339
Every indoor grower is going to deal

455
00:15:21,340 --> 00:15:23,479
with bugs or disease

456
00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,559
or mildew of some kind

457
00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:27,859
so it's just finding ways to

458
00:15:27,860 --> 00:15:29,799
stay ahead of that and mostly

459
00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,399
it's keeping clean keeping

460
00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:33,239
everything super you know keeping

461
00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:34,779
these fans on us.

462
00:15:34,780 --> 00:15:36,279
It feels good for us and just like

463
00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,159
us when the plants

464
00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:39,979
get a little bit they can breathe a

465
00:15:39,980 --> 00:15:40,980
lot better.

466
00:15:51,530 --> 00:15:54,289
I'm assuming at this point,

467
00:15:54,290 --> 00:15:56,090
the fish are supporting the plants?

468
00:15:58,590 --> 00:16:00,429
Is one day the goal to have them

469
00:16:00,430 --> 00:16:02,469
be equal in terms of income

470
00:16:02,470 --> 00:16:03,999
supporting each other?

471
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,179
Yeah, we

472
00:16:06,180 --> 00:16:08,279
have high hopes to

473
00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,239
expand the fish sometime,

474
00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:12,839
sometime soon in the next couple of

475
00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:13,739
years.

476
00:16:13,740 --> 00:16:15,619
And that probably looks mostly

477
00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:17,559
like a focus on expansion in the

478
00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,499
wall and keeping kind of

479
00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:21,319
still reaching the capacity here.

480
00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:22,639
So eventually we will have more

481
00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:24,559
nutrients than we

482
00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:26,879
are able to use so it could

483
00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:28,159
mean something else.

484
00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,139
Bottling up that nutrients giving

485
00:16:30,140 --> 00:16:31,899
it to a community garden or

486
00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:33,879
something like that Number of

487
00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:35,399
different ways you could handle it

488
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:36,959
with there's a cornfield right out

489
00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,340
right out our door, too but

490
00:16:42,319 --> 00:16:44,219
We wouldn't be the first to

491
00:16:44,220 --> 00:16:46,199
do it for sure I

492
00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:48,079
did I I don't know

493
00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,279
if I told you in that

494
00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,359
Studying of perch at

495
00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:54,179
first So we

496
00:16:54,180 --> 00:16:56,019
talked to a Madison professor named

497
00:16:56,020 --> 00:16:58,079
Terry Barry great

498
00:16:58,080 --> 00:16:59,259
name.

499
00:16:59,260 --> 00:17:00,740
He was an aquaculture professor, I

500
00:17:00,741 --> 00:17:02,339
believe an aqua culture professor,

501
00:17:02,340 --> 00:17:04,199
maybe just a biology professor, but

502
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,179
he said he had a similar system to

503
00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:08,039
ours recirculating,

504
00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:09,639
but in one tank he had northern pike

505
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:10,838
and another tank he had yellow

506
00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:12,739
perch. He found out that

507
00:17:12,740 --> 00:17:14,219
when the northern pike had some sort

508
00:17:14,220 --> 00:17:15,999
of predation, the yellow perch

509
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,358
responded by doubling their growth

510
00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:18,368
rates.

511
00:17:18,369 --> 00:17:20,269
It's just like incredible

512
00:17:20,270 --> 00:17:21,949
you know when you're in the way of

513
00:17:21,950 --> 00:17:23,568
uh you need to this fish to grow as

514
00:17:23,569 --> 00:17:25,389
fast as possible to make make your

515
00:17:25,390 --> 00:17:27,449
margins whatever i do i said

516
00:17:27,450 --> 00:17:29,309
do while i do that

517
00:17:29,310 --> 00:17:30,839
unfortunately they don't

518
00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:32,279
The canfish do that.

519
00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:34,099
It's a chemical that's released when

520
00:17:34,100 --> 00:17:35,100
one of them is eaten.

521
00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:37,759
That tells the others around it,

522
00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:39,239
grow faster, get bigger, I just got

523
00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,179
eaten. Some sort of pheromone or

524
00:17:41,180 --> 00:17:42,279
something. Something that's been

525
00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:43,280
released into the water.

526
00:17:44,399 --> 00:17:46,299
That's why a lot of fishermen will

527
00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:48,859
say, oh, a lake can get stunted.

528
00:17:48,860 --> 00:17:50,099
Especially the bluegills will never

529
00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:51,439
grow fast to a certain size.

530
00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:52,539
You've got to introduce a bigger

531
00:17:52,540 --> 00:17:54,399
predator to eat them, to get them to

532
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:55,409
grow.

533
00:17:55,410 --> 00:17:57,329
The right idea, but the wrong

534
00:17:57,330 --> 00:17:59,009
methodology of what actually is

535
00:17:59,010 --> 00:18:00,689
happening. It is the same, you need

536
00:18:00,690 --> 00:18:02,269
the predation for them to tell each

537
00:18:02,270 --> 00:18:03,369
other to grow bigger.

538
00:18:03,370 --> 00:18:05,089
Without the predator present, they

539
00:18:05,090 --> 00:18:06,909
simply reach a size

540
00:18:06,910 --> 00:18:07,929
that they're comfortable with, and

541
00:18:07,930 --> 00:18:08,619
then they don't grow bigger

542
00:18:08,620 --> 00:18:10,639
they need that pressure, yeah,

543
00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:11,979
that drive.

544
00:18:11,980 --> 00:18:13,839
And it's so, yeah I figured

545
00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:15,259
it had to be something like that

546
00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:17,099
because he said whether the pike

547
00:18:17,100 --> 00:18:18,999
was in the same tank or

548
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,739
not, it wasn't like the perch had,

549
00:18:20,740 --> 00:18:22,559
the perch didn't have to see it, you

550
00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:23,560
know.

551
00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:26,359
We had walleye or enough

552
00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:27,899
of an apex predator where they're

553
00:18:27,900 --> 00:18:29,939
not necessarily gonna do that,

554
00:18:29,940 --> 00:18:30,940
but

555
00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:33,959
just cool stuff that you

556
00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:34,979
learn along the way.

557
00:18:34,980 --> 00:18:36,459
Especially learning like us, you end

558
00:18:36,460 --> 00:18:38,419
up, the, uh,

559
00:18:38,420 --> 00:18:39,309
you know.

560
00:18:39,310 --> 00:18:41,269
YouTube, Google Scholar,

561
00:18:41,270 --> 00:18:43,049
talking to these research facilities

562
00:18:43,050 --> 00:18:45,269
instead of getting more of a

563
00:18:45,270 --> 00:18:47,149
formal education,

564
00:18:47,150 --> 00:18:49,229
you end up with a lot more adjacent

565
00:18:49,230 --> 00:18:50,569
things that you learn.

566
00:18:52,150 --> 00:18:54,049
For better or for worse,

567
00:18:54,050 --> 00:18:55,630
it's cool to have a mix though.

568
00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:59,879
And you see kind of here we

569
00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:02,339
have some power washing going on,

570
00:19:02,340 --> 00:19:03,759
dissembling towers.

571
00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:05,299
We just got done with the harvest

572
00:19:05,300 --> 00:19:06,359
today.

573
00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,279
So you see over here, those

574
00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,959
are a couple of Romaine towers that

575
00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:12,499
the further ones we might be

576
00:19:12,500 --> 00:19:14,039
harvesting from for our local

577
00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:15,379
customers tomorrow.

578
00:19:15,380 --> 00:19:17,019
The other ones are just harvested

579
00:19:17,020 --> 00:19:19,459
from. We need to unload those,

580
00:19:19,460 --> 00:19:21,919
soak them, power wash them,

581
00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:23,239
reassemble them so they're all

582
00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:24,599
perfectly clean, very labor

583
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:26,299
intensive, butt.

584
00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:28,839
That's how we grow our good crops.

585
00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:30,679
So when you see here, we have some

586
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,559
micro greens, broccoli micros,

587
00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:34,560
cilantro,

588
00:19:35,580 --> 00:19:36,580
romaine, basil.

589
00:19:44,230 --> 00:19:45,529
Someday I'd like to figure out

590
00:19:45,530 --> 00:19:47,549
strawberries, but it hasn't

591
00:19:47,550 --> 00:19:48,550
happened yet.

592
00:19:52,620 --> 00:19:54,599
You need to clean them up as you go

593
00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:56,779
almost after every harvest.

594
00:19:56,780 --> 00:19:58,619
Chives are one thing, chives

595
00:19:58,620 --> 00:19:59,579
and parsley both.

596
00:19:59,580 --> 00:20:00,859
You'll see the towers get a little

597
00:20:00,860 --> 00:20:02,759
baked on, but the plants

598
00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:03,739
do really well.

599
00:20:03,740 --> 00:20:05,079
They're able to keep cutting and

600
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:06,080
coming again.

601
00:20:07,260 --> 00:20:08,579
For whatever reason, they're really

602
00:20:08,580 --> 00:20:10,559
able to reproduce really well

603
00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:12,599
and stay really great products

604
00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:14,260
for a long time in the tower.

605
00:20:20,580 --> 00:20:22,579
Some more basil over here.

606
00:20:22,580 --> 00:20:25,019
We have our dill section here.

607
00:20:25,020 --> 00:20:26,359
Another one that you can cut and

608
00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:28,000
come again quite a few times.

609
00:20:33,020 --> 00:20:35,019
Do you guys want to go over and

610
00:20:35,020 --> 00:20:37,159
see kind of the germination

611
00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:38,679
area?

612
00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:40,219
Yeah, I mean, you just want to get

613
00:20:40,220 --> 00:20:41,999
some...

614
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,000
Yeah.

615
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:46,879
No, the...

616
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:48,859
I'm going to edit for the same

617
00:20:48,860 --> 00:20:51,399
ideas along the way.

618
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:52,400
And the...

619
00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:55,519
Motivation and influence on like

620
00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:57,339
little kids and like how

621
00:20:57,340 --> 00:20:59,359
many engineers and scientists

622
00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:00,579
that we have because of the moon

623
00:21:00,580 --> 00:21:02,499
landing there and same thing

624
00:21:02,500 --> 00:21:04,119
like a lot of these people that are

625
00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:05,819
interested in science.

626
00:21:07,750 --> 00:21:09,829
But a huge, huge, debatable

627
00:21:09,830 --> 00:21:10,649
topic.

628
00:21:10,650 --> 00:21:12,909
It's really interesting to debate.

629
00:21:12,910 --> 00:21:14,169
You know, there's the Tasmanian

630
00:21:14,170 --> 00:21:16,269
tiger that they say

631
00:21:16,270 --> 00:21:18,169
is really necessary to be

632
00:21:18,170 --> 00:21:20,089
back, because Tasmania is one of

633
00:21:20,090 --> 00:21:21,609
the species.

634
00:21:21,610 --> 00:21:23,449
Is it a dire wolf, or is it

635
00:21:23,450 --> 00:21:25,989
just a wolf with some new traits,

636
00:21:25,990 --> 00:21:26,990
or, you know, whatever?

637
00:21:33,460 --> 00:21:35,419
Part, we'll

638
00:21:35,420 --> 00:21:37,019
probably, we've been doing it about

639
00:21:37,020 --> 00:21:38,699
every two weeks.

640
00:21:38,700 --> 00:21:40,719
Right out of the circulating system

641
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,659
and out of purge system.

642
00:21:42,660 --> 00:21:44,539
Mind you, only four people,

643
00:21:44,540 --> 00:21:46,319
but no one can tell the difference.

644
00:21:47,580 --> 00:21:48,979
So, kind of interesting that way

645
00:21:48,980 --> 00:21:51,139
where salmon, it's

646
00:21:51,140 --> 00:21:54,619
quite a big deal to get the

647
00:21:54,620 --> 00:21:55,879
purge right.

648
00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:57,519
And it could even be three, four

649
00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:59,239
weeks sometimes, which they even

650
00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,279
started to come down to Menominee on

651
00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:02,280
Wednesdays.

652
00:22:05,870 --> 00:22:08,009
No, we don't have a facility.

653
00:22:08,010 --> 00:22:10,049
You need your, you know,

654
00:22:10,050 --> 00:22:11,929
stainless steel and all that

655
00:22:11,930 --> 00:22:13,009
stuff.

656
00:22:13,010 --> 00:22:15,989
But we do have a

657
00:22:15,990 --> 00:22:18,389
licensed kitchen now back

658
00:22:18,390 --> 00:22:19,390
here.

659
00:22:19,850 --> 00:22:21,169
So we're able to do,

660
00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:24,189
we need the retail food licenses to

661
00:22:24,190 --> 00:22:25,029
be able to sell them.

662
00:22:25,030 --> 00:22:26,349
So we need that.

663
00:22:26,350 --> 00:22:27,990
But then we're also able to.

664
00:22:30,740 --> 00:22:32,739
Utilize more plant products to

665
00:22:32,740 --> 00:22:34,599
put them into jars, so the pest

666
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:36,459
goes away, it's too much to eat.

667
00:22:36,460 --> 00:22:37,819
Filling you in on this yesterday

668
00:22:37,820 --> 00:22:39,719
too, then the same way with the

669
00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,319
plants we're trying to use all of

670
00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:42,320
it.

671
00:22:44,850 --> 00:22:46,729
Yep, yeah, we do two filet

672
00:22:46,730 --> 00:22:48,669
packs, and it is

673
00:22:48,670 --> 00:22:50,970
new, you know, you look online,

674
00:22:53,630 --> 00:22:55,329
while I direct frozen.