Fishing for success
Aquaculture a thriving industry in Lonoke County
The fertile land of southern Lonoke County, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, offers the perfect environment for numerous crops, such as rice, soybeans, corn and others. A leisurely drive through the area will yield pastoral views of lush fields, grazing livestock and picturesque waterways. One sight that might surprise those unfamiliar with Arkansas’ aquaculture industry, however, is acres upon acres of ponds, where much of the state’s freshwater fish are bred and raised. Arkansas is recognized as the birthplace of warm-water aquaculture in the U.S., with the first farms established in the 1940s to raise goldfish, and is one of the nation’s top producers of fish for food, recreational fishing, retail pet and gardening-supply markets and more. Perhaps the best-known fish farm in the county is the Joe Hogan Fish Hatchery. This facility, operated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, is the largest state-owned warm-water hatchery in the nation and produces food and game fish, such as catfish, bass, bream and crappie. The county, ranked first in the state for aquaculture by the Census of Agriculture, includes numerous other fish hatcheries and farms, ranging in size from small familyowned outfits to vast commercial farms. “Many people statewide, as well as locally, do not realize the impact that Lonoke County and Arkansas have on the aquaculture industry nationally,” said Jamie Anderson, vice president of I.F. Anderson Farms Inc. in Lonoke. Anderson Minnow Farm serves customers in 41 states. “Aside from having the top baitfish, sport fish, hybrid striped bass, triploid grass carp and goldfish producers located in Lonoke County, we also have many of the most respected extension and university researchers anywhere in the country,” he said. The Anderson farm, which encompasses 3,500 acres of water and has 331 ponds, specializes in goldfish and minnows, including golden shiners, black fatheads, pink fatheads and the farm’s specialty: the Black Salty. This selectively bred, trademarked and patented baitfish, developed on-site by the team at I.F. Anderson, is a hardy breed that is ideal for use in both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Anderson said the farm was founded in the late 1940s by his grandfather and great-grandfather, who moved from Yazoo City, Mississippi, and purchased 800 acres
Many people statewide, as well as locally, do not realize the impact that Lonoke County and Arkansas have on the aquaculture industry nationally.” — JAMIE ANDERSON VICE PRESIDENT OF I.F. ANDERSON FARMS INC.
along U.S. 70 near Lonoke after discovering that the local species of baitfish were much hardier than the live-caught ones from the Yazoo River. One of the county’s smaller fish hatcheries, Frisby Fish Farm in Lonoke, is a Century Farm. This family-owned and -operated outfit was founded in 1916 as a traditional farm. In the 1970s, the family added ponds to raise baitfish, and today the farm has 210 acres of water and is devoted to breeding and raising goldfish and pink and black fathead minnows, as well as ornamental koi. Most of the farm’s day-to-day operations, from feeding, breeding and harvesting fish to preparing shipments, are handled by the owners — Hugh Frisby Jr., his wife, Debbie, and their sons, Jodie and Matthew. “I believe that aquaculture is a major source of jobs and industry for Lonoke County,” Jodie Frisby said. “Many other businesses thrive on the secondary impact [of aquaculture] — whether it be fuel, chemicals, fertilizer, etc. — which creates more jobs. Also, there’s the trickle-down impact of hauling fish — trucking, truck drivers, truck mechanics and well drillers … and more.” In addition, Jodie said, Lonoke’s hospitality industry benefits from the fishhatchery industry. “FedEx, UPS and airlines [transport] fish all over the country and even overseas,” he said. “Lonoke hotels are full of truck drivers who stay overnight before loading fish the next morning.” No matter what the size of the operation, running a fish hatchery and farm is a demanding job. “Fish are no different than any other livestock; they must be tended to daily,” Anderson said. “A typical day for us is from before daylight until dark, seven days a week.” In addition to feeding, fish require regular monitoring to ensure that they are healthy, and ponds must be maintained for water quality and structural integrity. “The aquaculture extension specialists provide services for fish disease and weed control,” Jodie said. “Equipment and levee repair are a neverending part of the operation,” Anderson said. For farm owners such as Anderson and the Frisby family, however, the work is a labor of love — the continuation of family traditions that they hope to pass along to the next generation.