WHITEHOUSE – Diversity is a key to successful farming. Duke Wheeler is having success with his second
year of shrimp farming.
The harvest for this year’s "crop" of shrimp will be held beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at
Wheeler’s farm enterprise at 11500 Obee Road near Whitehouse.
One nice thing for Wheeler is he does not need a shrimp boat for his fresh water shrimp catch.
Located near his Christmas tree farm, Butterfly House and corn maze, Wheeler installed a one-acre pond
specifically for the crustaceans.
"We had two ponds already, but we figured the fish would eat the shrimp," he joked.
It was Wheeler’s wife, Martha, who had read about the growing trend of aquaculture in Ohio.
"We thought it would fit with our family farm and our family entertainment," Wheeler said of
their first venture last year. "We’re trying to create more family related activities in our
community."
He is really looking forward to this year’s shrimp harvest. Although last year was successful, early look
at the shrimp indicates even greater success.
He upped the amount of juvenile shrimp originally placed in the pond, which ranges from 4 to 6-feet deep,
to 20,000, and the growing season has been longer this year.
Also after being established, Wheeler says there is now more natural plant life for the shrimp to feed on
than last year.
"The shrimp are a lot larger this year," he said.
The growing season is determined by the temperature of the pond. Before placing the juveniles in the
pond, the water temperature must be at least 70 degrees. The harvest must be done before the water drops
below 65 degrees, as the shrimp would freeze to death below that level.
Wheeler says his shrimp are all naturally grown and chemical free.
At Saturday’s harvest, they will begin draining the pond slowly, so all the shrimp move to the deep end
of the pond.
Once gathered, the shrimp are removed with a seine net. They are placed in a cold ice bath to prepare
them for sale.
Advance sale is $12 per pound; while harvest day sales will be at $15 per pound.
Wheeler says that method of freeze killing the shrimp is accepted as a humane treatment.
Online ordering for the shrimp is already being done. In addition, those who wish to purchase the shrimp
can do so at the harvest.
They will be sold whole and fresh on ice by the pound. He suggests those intending to purchase shrimp
bring a cooler with ice.
Other activities will be held on Saturday as part of the harvest.
Elias Hajar, a chef from the Poco Piatti restaurant at Levis Commons will return for a second year at the
harvest and will be preparing some shrimp dishes. There will also be wagon rides available and both the
maze and the butterfly house will be open with regular admission fees.
"People who live in the city don’t appreciate what all goes into a farm operation," he said.
"We like to share that."
Wheeler says his shrimp are "raised in clean water, fed natural food and taste delicious."
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On the Net:
www.shrimp-farm.com