Fish farming, which has been touted as a possible way to diversify Elkhart County's economy, appears to be swimming against a strong current.
The idea, championed by Elkhart County Commissioner Mike Yoder in this Elkhart Project piece published in early April, envisions converting unused RV factories to commercial fish farms.
But as detailed in this update from Tuesday's Elkhart Truth, there are numerous hurdles to be overcome before the county can become an aquaculture center.
Chief among them: Fish farms could not be hooked up to public water supply, which would require numerous wells to be dug, and the RV plants that Yoder has examined so far could not be expanded if the operation took off.
Yoder also told the newspaper that it doesn't appear that a fish farm would be eligible for federal stimulus funding because, initially at least, it wouldn't create enough jobs.
Yoder hasn't abandoned the idea, though, and he has a new fish in mind: Perch.
He is in discussions with Bell Aquaculture of Redkey, Ind., to see if it would be feasible to use the company's technology to get a yellow perch farm up and running. Bell Aquaculture, which operates the nation's largest perch farm in Albany, Ind., also would process any fish raised in Elkhart County.


From what I understand there are also some big obstacles that fish face in the ocean as well, like a whale shark for instance. Maybe fish are not the right way to go. Let them have their obstacles and lets do something else. And that's the way it is.
C'mon guys, I've done all the research into this because 10 years ago I wanted to build an aquaculture business in Nevada, but I couldn't come up with the capitol because bankers thought I was nuts......seriously, the water thing isn't an issue, unless it's a state, city or county regulation.
You can use city water, you just have to re-process it. If you set up the filtration properly, it's a no brainer, you only need to add fresh water (re-processed water from the city) in small amounts, because you remove all the solids and nitrates and never have to "flush" water into the sewers that hasn't been properly cleaned. The water going out of the facility should be cleaner than the water that came in, with a few simple techniques.
A company like Bell, is going to set this up in a way that it becomes a profit center for THEIR company, not Elkhart. If anyone in Elkhart wants to get serious, they should email me at: killer.marketing AT yahoo DOT com
I think any county as stressed as Elkheart should explore any and all possible ideas,no matter how farfecthed they may seem at first.
As an additional value added project - AQUAPONICS. A convergence of HYDROPONICS and AQUACULTURE. Use the fish wastes to nourish the plants - solves a couple of problems at the same time. See (note: the website is Austrailian but the concept is universal and easily utilized anywhere.
That's exactly what I was thinking :D
www dot aquaponics dot com
Fish farming is an unhealthy alternative as food supplies go. Bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal infections are everpresent and require the continual use of antibiotics, pesticides, anti-virals and fungicides. There is also a high risk of local polluted runoff entering the fish farm water.
Does any educated consumer really want to incorporate farmed fish into their family's diet?
Your question is unfounded. The forest service every year and when needed grow in their hatchires there called and then they dump them seriptiously in some stream,lake or water way. Guarunteed if you have eaten fish that came from the lake around or near you, it was filled with farm fish.Would you let your family be introduced to that?I am 80 years old and ate a lot of wild fish grown in fish farms.I am looking to starton one in desert center ca.
Organic fish farming is possible. I want to eat an organic perch basket with fries and a micro-brew.
I wonder if fish farms could find a way to avoid using antibiotics or pesticides when they grow the fish? How do fish farms differ from farm ponds that the farmers market to people for fishing specific fish like bass or bluegill?
Think about the question. OUR Government farm fish all kinds and that is available to see at any forest service area.They then grow and dump into the lakes streams etal . Now is it good or bad and would you eat one put your family on it?
We are thinking about putting one on our 28 aces after learning that las vegas uses 1,000,000 lbs. of fish monthly.
The answer is....Vote for real change whenever local elections are held remembering not to allow yourselves to be influenced by messianic sounding speeches that leave you with tears in your eyes. The present Administration is hell bent on converting our society to government run villages better known as Communes!
It's your choice!...For God's sake! pay attenttion and fight back by voting these B------s out of office!You do not have to wait until year 2010! Every election no matter how insignificant is being targeted by the socialist leaning B------s. The "ACORN" organization is an example of how Socialists Obama, Pelosi and Reid plan to take away our freedoms. Big Government is everywhere!
::insert eyeroll here::
President Obama is orchestrating a socialist takeover of the United States of America by starting a fish farm in Indiana.
It all makes perfect sense.
Keep bringing the crazy, nutsack. It worked so well for you guys the past two elections LMAO!
Check out an organization called Growing Power @ growingpower.com
Info @ UTube
Let's eat bunny rabbits. They breed quick. Mighty tasty too.
Hey batanasio, What Obama is doing worked for FDR in 1933, who knows it might work again. What I am sure of is that you have no clue.
Actually, if you look at the facts, FDR's efforts failed miserably. The Depression soldiered on in spite of them, or possibly because of them. It took a WAR and the associated industrial boom to actually end the Great Depression. What FDR did then didn't work, what Obama is doing now probably won't either. Will we need another major war to pull us out? I hope to god not ...
No, he's doing the same as Jimmy Carter. That failed also. We call it Stagflaction. He protected and funded failing industries that should have been left to fail and have thier market share taken over by healthy companies.
*** It took a WAR and the associated industrial boom to actually end the Great Depression. ***
Actually, nitwit, all a war is is a massive government spending program. The lesson of the New Deal was that it wasn't large enough, or begun early enough (Hoover sat on his ass for 3+ years, doing nothing).
Turn all the unused RV Factories into ~~~~ "Stripper Clubs", all lit up in Bright Neon, like Las Vegas ~ !!!!! just a thought ~ !
Striped bass are much more prolific to raise and more profitable than hog farming.the main requirement however is that the facility has to be right next to a big lake to continously stock it with fry. We are about to make tuna extinct so a new substitute has to emerge terrestrially to give the ocean cousins a beak.
years ago a very tiny glass bead resulted from an experiment that was so small
it could be utilized to filter water forever yet the technology was just passed over and that is a very sad thought from a world wide perspective.
As an outsider from Pennsylvania, I hope I am not too nosy in sticking my comments in here. Anymore, when I go shopping, there is very little choice between farm-raised and wild caught fish. Unfortunately, we have depleted alot of the ocean stock. I hate to admit it, but, when I shop, I am forced to buy farm-raised fish. I have read that in many instances that is not very healthy compared to wild caught. I will say this, the farm-raised fish, as far as taste, isn't even in the same ballpark with wild caught. To my family, there is a noticeable difference! However, not only is availability a problem, but so is the price. It is getting so that we don't eat as much seafood anymore.
As to the comments about the government involvement, I very much agree with the naysayers. The current government is very, very much socialistic. Be informed, read about socialist forms of government on quality sites. It just might be an eye-opener. As far as Roosevelt, historians widely agree that it was the war that brought us out of the Depression, not the actions and programs of Roosevelt.
I feel for you people in Indiana. I wish you the best of luck. But, remember, before making any decision, do a lot of research and talk to people who know. Listen to people who know, and not just to people who can talk loudly. Don't be part of the mindless-sheep syndrome.
You should all just move to another city
Successful businesses are started by entrepreneurs, with ideas, capital and the courage and vision to make it work, not by governments big or small. I am not trying to be critical, i am trying to help. it seems to me what elkhart can do is to figure out what would make the city/region so appealling to a successful company that they would want to relocate some part of their business in your area. You have good competition unfortunately. why would a company locate in elkhart instead of detroit for example.
What skill set and unique set of conditions exist in elkhart that could be harnessed to give a company that located in your town a competitive advantage? I like the idea of reverse outsourcing of manufacturing a product line. The US is the largest market for many products and lots of items are imported. For example: could you convince Royal Enfield of India to let you build motorcycles for US market, or Taiwanese or italian company to let you build their scooters, etc. The cost of labor in low cost countries is rising continually, you have the advantage of location, made in USA and you are smart people, you can compete, you could build a superior product i'll bet.
What individual are you going to bet on in elkhart to pull something together?
I can only agree with a lot of previous commentators that you should look at what YOU can offer as a local industry,why are YOU the best.Don't rely on big government(they only look at the big picture).What has Elkhart got to offer? Aquaculture is a possibility if you have massive amounts of water and a good climate to grow fruit and veg as well as fish.I am an Aussie and I wish you well.
welfare is the way to go. free medical care and no worry about getting laid off. And....as a plus, you can save a lot of money not having to drive to work five days a week.
New International trade currency needed to balance wealth redistribution of International markets
Its time for a independent audit of the IMF gold holdings . 160,000 tons of gold has ever been mined from the face of this planet. Transfer of Wealth
Greshams Law of the 14th Century is playing out through the way Tariff Free Trade has opened pandoras box of the devaluing process you describe in your article "Exter's liquidity pyramid "
In reading the article based off the Financial Times
Washington is unable to call all the shots
one thing is not considered ....as China is stock piling raw materials , and say that a price collapse comes from it in commodities , even if this happens , what if China decides to not take our dollar for the durables we want to import from them and with energy countries that supply world market supply unless its in this ETF Fund basket of currencies back by Precious Metals is where the dollar becomes an excepted currency for trade as this becomes the New reserve currency for international trade ?
The USA can not recover and pay higher taxes , and increased wages , based solely off a consumer driven market that cannot maintain a 14 trillion dollar a year rate of consumption and the consumables be lowering in price , as its devaluing effects only leads to a Consolidation of the wealth being created . We have watched this play out since the formation of the WTO and the Tariff Free trade agreements that took away the counter balance to different valued currencies trading in the same markets , the lower devaluing the higher because of a pure supply-side economic theory that ends in pure devaluation and transfer of wealth creation ; ie manufacturing as a primary unit of wealth creation .
We need a new way to Counter balance the currencies of International Trade , like is described below .....
this will set the pace for a new International Monetary Policy , backed with PM markets
This ETF traded fund is a start of a new way of valuation of currency trade to help counter balance the trend of different valued cuirrencies trading in the same markets , and their devaluing effects that happen when lower valued currencies trade in the same markets as Higher valued ones , with the inclusions of Precious metals markets acting as balancing counter measures .
You see Goldman is even seeing this trend as a Positive direction for sustainable growth
Goldman Sachs | BRICs
Over the next 50 years, Brazil, Russia, India and China—the BRICs economies—could become a much larger force in the world economy. We map out GDP growth, ...
BRIC economies factor of stability and growth: Indian PM
The true rating of the dollar as the reserve currency is legitimately being questioned , and since the indoctrination of Tariff Free Trade in the 1994-5 trade policy America adopted , the devaluation of the dollar has ensued . Once we lifted the Reagan tariff Trade rules , of the 4 year rotational trade agreements Reagan had in place , the loss of a balanced reserve currency has been the result , so if we are to right this ship and set it back on a course that's able to balance the values between trade partners currencies , it only makes sense to structure a new monetary policy like is being discussed here in the BRIC plan .
If this is not resolved with some positive form of diplomacy , the US and UK could very well find themselves Isolated from the rest of the worlds resources and supply of durables at a time in financial history when a world supply of goods and services need to be in constant supply for all nations so that a continued path of financial progress can be achieved .
Interruptions in human needs at this time in history must carefully be considered as to the damage that could result to infrastructures and their ability to keep constant supply of vital needs in route .
Russia Dumps the U.S. Dollar for Euro as Reserve Currency
May 19, 2009 - 07:37 PM
But today what this calling of the change of the Reserve Currency status that the dollar represents by Chinas willing to negotiate the change , is that this gives the USA a better way to Negotiate with China and Russia ways to curb the violence in Radical regimes like Iran and Korea , what a Position to be in !
But to focus on issues relating to Cap and Trade , to the Negotiate for Human rights in the 3rd world , finding ways to increase wages that have not kept up because this has forced competition in labor pools around the world to compete with the Lowest labor pool , and this is devaluing all the currencies towards the cheapest , and we call this Gresham's Law of the 14th Century , and its time for a Intellectual Debate on this topic ,The High Cost of the China-WTO Deal
Administration's own analysis suggests spiraling deficits, job losses
by Robert E. Scott ; this independent analogy of how the USA and European Economies would crumble under the tariff Free trade agreements is a direct example of Gresham's Law of the 14th Century ; read here ; , which we should argue with the professor here in the thesis over the fact that it " DOES " indeed lead to the devaluation of the higher valued currency , like the Dollar and Euro , so engaging in alternative financial " Revaluation investments like the Wisdom Tree ETF fund can counter the effects of a Fiat currency system thats designed with this devaluation flaw thats devaluing even the lowest economies in the WTO trade partnership !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Different valued currencies trading in the same markets , lower valued currencies devaluing the higher valued ones , too the point that it has even exhausted credit , as this function working in the supply - side system with Technology in manufacturing reaching a production speed , has come to the point of the world not being able to consume fast enough what a industrialized developed world can produce , but at the same time , certain raw materials we need to produce vital needs with are showing signs of shortages at current methods of producing these requirements , and these needs are in locations around the world , that if trade policy and Currency relationships are not carefully crafted to generate agreeable Trade relationships with WTO trade partners , Isolation of nations could result from a reject of one nations currency wanting to trade for resources from another that rejects that nations trade currency , like is starting to evolve with China wanting to change the Dollar out of the reserve currency positions and replace it with the basket of all WTO trade partners currencies , guaranteeing these currencies with Precious Metals markets around the world .
Take a look at this 30 plus year chart of the Gold market ; , it reflects the way Inflation was running in the US and UK in the 1970s , then Reagan came into office and was able to take what was a domestic Inflation issue and dissolve it into the 3rd world with opening of trade , that lasted till now . Today we have came full circle back to where we were with facing domestic inflation and now have a Phenomenon of Worldwide Inflation , as the world now has reached a level of development that will drive demand for Quality of Life improvements , and if this demand is suppressed in anyway , civil unrest will grow as the developed nations push for a better way of life .
China ready to discuss , as well all in the world should be rallying around this needed debate , and together chart a course that's beyond the past history lessons that showed no sustainability either , but in this new century a new reserve currency at G20 summit would be something that if all trade partners can find the paths that would make the future manageable then growth can be manageable as well . ;
If China and Russia would be willing to negotiate peaceful resolutions with world adversaries like Iran , and Korea in exchange for transitions of the dollar out of the status of reserve currency , what position ! .
Dissolve this deficit into an averaging of the value of the Creation of the ETF of Currencies like has been proposed by the Chinese , that can then be restructured and paid for over the course of time as the world harnesses Inflation as the new world growth mechanism changing this negative and turning it into a positive for a progressive way forward for all humanities needs .
This can address all forms of categories of life's needs , healthcare , as well as all of life's fundamental valued needs , setting standards of quality as the way we value the price we pay for advancing standards of sustainable living .
Bank Stress Tests: The Government Isn't Going Far Enough
Banks paying back TARP at 78 billion , a Mere drop in the Bucket to the Commercial real estate default issue coming 1 trillion dollar unsustainable debt ....
""" There’s also the massive problem of commercial real estate assets and loans—none of which have been calculated into the mix. Banks hold some $1 trillion of these loans, the report notes. Research out of Deutsche Bank shows that the majority of losses on these loans (never mind the derivatives and securities created off of them) won’t show up for another few years. The default rate of U.S. commercial real estate bank loans has already reached its highest level in 15 years and is not expected to peak until 2011, according to another new report by Real Estate Econometrics. """
Subject: USA DEBT CLOCK
Posted by: Mara Der Hovanesian on June 09
There are a couple of things that strike me as odd and even disturbing about the new congressional oversight report on the recent bank stress tests.
First, the “adverse scenario” on these 19 banks isn’t adverse enough. Didn’t we already know that? There were plenty of folks raising the specter of double-digit unemployment long ago. Only now that unemployment has climbed to a rate of 9.4% is the government suddenly saying it has “serious concerns” that perhaps the tests weren’t rigorous enough.
There’s also the massive problem of commercial real estate assets and loans—none of which have been calculated into the mix. Banks hold some $1 trillion of these loans, the report notes. Research out of Deutsche Bank shows that the majority of losses on these loans (never mind the derivatives and securities created off of them) won’t show up for another few years. The default rate of U.S. commercial real estate bank loans has already reached its highest level in 15 years and is not expected to peak until 2011, according to another new report by Real Estate Econometrics.
Two very respectable professors helped Congress put together the recent report and gave their blessing on the “solidly designed working model” of the stress tests, backing them up with the usual econometric hieroglyphics and mathematical models. The report recommends that banks and their regulators continue the stress tests. That seems reasonable: No doubt that we want to know if our banks are healthy and able to withstand tough economic headwinds.
But we also want to know if they are getting into trouble enough to take down the whole system. The 168-page report by the Congressional Oversight Panel reminds us that our regulators are still not able to assess that properly. The ability to understand the interconnectivity among banks and the risk they present, especially in the derivatives market, is still a big fat unknown. And the regulators and mathematical geniuses have yet to figure out a way to monitor or measure that risk.
Seems we’re still flying in the wind.