The first day of March brought a blue-sky-sparkling-sunny day, which caused thoughts of Spring to sprout in the minds of many Rotarians. Since this weekly meeting had a growth theme, it was appropriate it began with Chuck Kuba introducing new member Craig Miller. Craig has jumped into Rotary service, so he may not seem new to many. As is Craig, our many new members are enriching the club. We welcome them and thank those who are actively recruiting new members.
Today's speaker was Joe Sweeney, the chief executive officer of Eagle's Catch U.S.A. Grown Seafood in Ellsworth, Iowa. Yes, I typed that correctly, Eagle's Catch is an Iowa-based operation that will raise and sell fish on a large scale. Ten years ago there were no fish farming operations in Iowa. Today, there are about a dozen producing barramundi sea bass, shrimp, and koi. Even after Eagle's Catch begins operating its approximately four-acre tilapia facility, aquaculture will remain a tiny segment of Iowa's farming economy. But, Sweeney is confident fish farming will become much more prevalent in the years to come.
Sweeney's interest in aquaculture began after studying Agriculture Business, Economics, and Entrepreneurial Studies at Iowa State University. After learning that 90% of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, with 70% of those imports coming from China, Sweeney began studying the U.S. seafood market. He drove his old hail damaged Buick to Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Georgia where he worked for land-based aquaculture producers in exchange for gaining knowledge. He walked away from these back-breaking experiences convinced there was an untapped farming opportunity back home in Iowa.
He and a few partners built and operated Buckeye Fish Company that raised barramundi sea bass on land Sweeney bought from his parents. After a couple of years, the partners sold Buckeye to raise capital for the tilapia operation that is now known as Eagle's Catch. Sweeney is convinced the process of growing tilapia will be easier than sea bass and, most important, the market is even bigger.
Tilapia is a freshwater fish that has been farmed for generations. While tilapia is widely available and has many positive qualities, it has been dubbed the fish chefs love to hate because imported tilapia can be inconsistent in quality and have a muddy flavor. For better or worse, tilapia is a hearty fish that can survive in poor quality water by consuming chicken and other animal waste. Sweeney provided the unappetizing example of a small-scale fish operation in Africa he visited that would hang rotting animals over tanks so the fish could feed on the maggots that fell from the carcasses.
Sweeney's Eagle's Catch, which will be the largest land-based aquaculture facility in the country, has been designed to maximize the quality and taste of tilapia. Iowa's high-quality water supply, central national location, and farming knowledge-base make the state the ideal location for his operation Sweeney told Rotary.
Sweeney is optimistic regarding the future of Eagle's Catch, but he is far from finished. He wants to optimize the operation in the years to come and hopes to process the fish in Iowa. He also is interested in partnering with in-state farmers to grow the fish food needed instead of bringing it in from other states. Tilapia can exist on a vegetarian diet, so it would make sense to produce that component locally. He also plans to optimize the waste from the fish operation by converting the effluent removed from tanks into fertilizer for agriculture and residential use.
Joe Sweeney provided a most engaging presentation today. Rotarians were fascinated and enthusiastic by the Eagle's Catch story. The program committee did it yet again!
See you next Thursday at Rotary.