One farmer, Jim Ferneding, already committed. The first batch of fish was dumped into Ferneding's mammoth indoor tanks about a week ago. The farmers built a fish hatchery. In a few years, they will add a processing plant. We've got to keep the farmers out here.
Rural experts say such ventures can help keep farm families in business and rural towns vibrant.
More importantly, they're targeting particular consumers, those who prefer to buy things that are local and who are willing to pay more. The Kusel family near Manning has managed to earn a living off the land, despite three decades of economic turmoil. His optimism is tempered by concerns that he and other farmers will lose their independence. Contract farming, in which a farmer is paid a flat amount to produce livestock or crops owned by an agribusiness firm, has spread from the poultry industry to hogs. Kusel, whose family operates 1,500 acres, sees it moving into grain production, too.