To Fund, or not to Fund....

There are times I feel like a broken record.  However I am beginning to believe the Recirculating Aquaculture environment has to be one of the harder items to get funded.  Not because it isn't a viable option, but because people tend to believe what they initially read on the internet, and not actually research the field. (or believe what is put in front of them).  We all know that if it is on the internet then it must be true.

I will say up front that like any venture RAS has it's liabilities.  Maybe more than most.  However, these can be overcome quite easily.  Unfortunately what happens so many times is if we have potential investors or lenders that go to the internet to do their own research; they will actually look into the wrong information.  (remember, if it's on the internet it must be true).

What I mean by that is with the RAS field, it has moved so quickly in the last couple of years in the United States that if you are looking at anything prior to maybe 2011 anything you find is pretty much outdated.  I say the United States as countries in Europe such as Norway and Denmark have actually been successfully using RAS systems for upwards of 15+ years.  So when they look at information they will look at reports written in early 2000's which will tell you that RAS is not viable for one reason or another.

There are also a few authors that write that as recently as 2012 there are x number of RAS shrimp facilities that have gone out of business for whatever reason and they give those reasons.  Now, of course I am an RAS proponent.  So I started to look up the names of those facilities as there is no data base in the U.S. of RAS facilities.  These authors state it was because of fluctuation in shrimp prices, it is a niche market, etc...  Well, the truth of the matter is of the four companies they reference in the articles, 3 of them actually went out of business in the 90's or early 2000.  Of those, one company was a scam.  The two who set it up were actually tried for securities fraud.  Recently they tried to set up another company in California and were stopped before they could do it again.  Another company went out of business in a manner of speaking.  They sold to another company who turned it from a shrimp farm into a research center.  Another company started a huge facility where they were $4 million in debt from the beginning.  Had their shrimp facility in one state, a research facility in another state and received their larvae from another state.  Pretty much sunk from the get go.  The 4th, I couldn't even find the name so it's hard to tell when they went out of business.

So I think you see the point.  I have a list of 9 current companies that have been in business from 12 years to current.  Those are never listed.  One of those companies who has been around the longest is actually expanding.

Now, I'm not giving up on my search for lenders or investors, but I always wonder what they find on the internet.  It is filled with articles as I mentioned.  But you don't find articles with successes unless you actually go to the sites dealing with the seafood industry.

Hopefully I won't have to continue to sound like a broken record for long.  So onward we go asking To Lend or not to lend.....

We are still here

There are times where you get so side tracked by other things that you forget about the other important things that you need to be doing.  That would include keeping up on the blog to let you know what we have been up to.

In the last month we have been working on our final push to pick up our final funding through our Community Funded project.  Although it was a great effort we fell short.The staff of the Community Funded are great. They worked tirelessly to try to help me reach our goal.

We have also been working on a new package for our new Farm Services Agency loan package. Our last submission did not get denied we just ran out of time is the submission from the never ending request for more information. Next week we will be meeting personally with the Farm Service Agency to review our loan package to ensure we have everything we need before we submit for final review.

Although this does not seem like much,  it has taken several months to get things lined up. We will get back to a regular routine of keeping you up to date on what we're doing, and we hope you will continue to follow us on our journey.

Lastly, thanks to all of you who have been contacting us lately. It has been great hearing from you and getting to know such great people. For all of you who do have questions please feel free to e-mail me and I will get right back to you. This is has been an exciting time  and will continue to be one. Please make sure you continue to follow us.

Scott

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Report

Every once in awhile we will go in to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch web site to check and see where we will stand as far as their recommendation for shrimp consumption goes.  This is as far as for the environment and for the health of you and I is concerned as well.
Today we have posted the page from the section for U.S. Farmed Shrimp.  We are proud of the fact that we will be in their "Best Choice" category, but when you get past the chart to the consumer notes, the first line you will see is "For the most sustainable product, look for shrimp raised in fully recirculating systems or from farms located inland using tanks or ponds."  We are quite proud of the fact that we are going to be a sustainable product where our shrimp will be raised in fully recirculating systems.

Yet even with recommendations like these there are still those (in the financial world primarily) that can't possibly imagine that recirculating farming facilities can be productive, or produce a shrimp that has a taste close to that of an ocean shrimp.

If we think about that for a moment, the water the shrimp are going to be raised in will have the same salinity as the ocean.  The food will actually be healthier than what they are eating in the ocean if you think of the fact that shrimp are bottom feeders.  Our water is clean and remains that way where as the water our shrimp is currently coming out of, either from the ocean or ponds is more likely going to be polluted in one way or another.

So they may be right.  The taste may be different.  It may be different in a good way wouldn't you think?   A healthier diet, a healthier environment, yet still the same salinity as what their wild raised cousins are living in?

So take a look at the chart and keep reading.  We hope that you will continue to support us and you know as usual we are currently still looking for investors.

We appreciate all of your support.
Scott

SHRIMP SEAFOOD RATING MARKET NAMES WHERE CAUGHT HOW CAUGHT Freshwater Prawn Giant River Prawn, Malaysian Prawn U.S. Farmed Northern Shrimp Bay Shrimp, Cocktail Shrimp, Salad Shrimp, Ebi U.S., Canadian Atlantic Wild-caught Pink Shrimp Bay Shrimp, Cocktail Shrimp, Ocean Shrimp, Salad Shrimp, Ebi Oregon Wild-caught Rock Shrimp Rock Shrimp U.S. Wild-caught Shrimp Brown Shrimp, Pink Shrimp, Rock Shrimp, White Shrimp, Ebi U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic Wild-caught Shrimp Black Tiger Shrimp, Tiger Prawn, White Shrimp, Ebi Imported Farmed in Open Systems Shrimp Black Tiger Shrimp, Tiger Prawn, White Shrimp, Ebi Imported Wild-caught Shrimp Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi U.S. Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems or Inland Ponds Shrimp Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi U.S. Farmed in Open Systems Shrimp Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi Thailand Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems Shrimp Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi Mexico Farmed in Open Systems Spot Prawn Prawn, Spot Shrimp, Amaebi U.S. Pacific Wild-caught Spot Prawn Prawn, Spot Shrimp, Amaebi Canadian Pacific Wild-caught SHRIMP, U.S. FARMED Shrimp from U.S. farms are produced under strict environmental laws, making them a better choice than imported farmed shrimp. However, all U.S. farms are not equal. While most U.S. farmed shrimp are a "Good Alternative," a small percentage is ranked "Best Choice." These farms have further reduced their impact on the environment by raising shrimp in fully recirculating systems or inland ponds, away from sensitive coastal habitats. CONSUMER NOTE For the most sustainable product, look for shrimp raised in fully recirculating systems or from farms located inland using tanks or ponds. The terms "shrimp" and "prawn" may be used interchangeably. Shrimp is known as ebi when prepared for sushi. SUMMARY Shrimp is the world's most valuable seafood and the most popular among U.S. consumers. Almost half of the shrimp consumed worldwide is farmed, with the majority from Asia and Latin America. The U.S. produces less than 1% of shrimp consumed by Americans. All large-scale farms require wild fish to feed the shrimp. U.S. farmed shrimp require 1.35 pounds of wild fish per pound of shrimp produced. The larger the shrimp, the more wild fish feed is required for it to grow. Pollution, disease and escapes from shrimp farms are all concerns, but U.S. shrimp farmers have begun to address these problems. Farms that use fully recirculating systems and those located away from the coast don't release effluent into sensitive ocean habitats. By treating and recycling the water or using it for agriculture, these farms reduce pollution and lower the risk of escapes and disease transfer to wild stocks. Unfortunately, the majority (87%) of shrimp farms are located in or near coastal waters and openly release effluent. This can impact natural habitat and increase the risk that the shrimp, and any disease they carry, may escape and impact wild populations. Look for shrimp or prawns raised in fully recirculating systems or inland ponds as a "Best Choice." If you can't confirm this, assume the shrimp is farmed in an open system and is a "Good Alternative." U.S. farmed shrimp is also a much better alternative for consumers concerned about the bycatch of seahorses, sea turtles, fish and invertebrates that occurs in warmwater shrimp fisheries.Scientific Reports About Our Ratings U.S. Farmed Shrimp Seafood Watch Report Print a pocket-size Seafood Watch guide to take with you. Download a guide now Mobile phone users log on to mobile.seafoodwatch.org. iPhone and iPhone touch users, you can get the most up-to-date Seafood Watchrecommendations on your iPhone or iPod touch. How fish are caught or farmed makes a difference. Learn more

Are you that one company.....

and no we aren't.

If you aren't sure what we are talking about yet, let me enlighten you.  If you type the wrong series of words into a search bar, you may come up with a company in Loveland Colorado by the name of Rocky Mountain Shrimp.  This is who we would be referring to.  And no, we are not them.

Why am I so emphatic about this?  It depends on who is asking.  For the normal person on the street it probably doesn't matter much other than the fact that for the information you can find on them, they would wonder why we are attempting to try to start an indoor shrimp farm here in the Fort Collins area.  If you are a company that we would like to do business with, and you look them up, you might wonder the same thing, and if you go by the power point type presentation they have listed on line, you are probably going to wonder why (if you think we are them) we have been around for the last 4 years, we are producing  around 4000+ shrimp a month and you have never heard about us until now.  And lastly, if you are someone that we are wanting to fund us, private or banking wise and you type in the wrong search words and get Rocky Mountain Shrimp, and then do a search through the state, unless something changed just recently you will see that their LLC is no longer valid, etc...

So why am I stating this?  We really don't want to have our name associated with their company name.  We ended up choosing the name Premier Rocky Mountain Prawn for the simple reason that prawn and shrimp really are interchangeable.  Prawn are known more for being freshwater, however they are known as shrimp as well.  We put the premier in front of Rocky Mountain to hopefully give people a second chance at getting a general search done and finding us, and not the other guys.

So if you can spread the word that we are PREMIER ROCKY MOUNTAIN PRAWN... not rocky mountain shrimp, we would appreciate it.  From what we can tell there isn't a company in Colorado right now producing 800-1000 pounds of shrimp per week.  When we have checked on them at least the state doesn't know about them, not does Larimer County, Loveland, Fort Collins, etc...

So keep that in mind when you are looking for us.  Premier Rocky Mountain Prawn, not .................

Thanks for passing the word.

Scott

The Local Farmer

In 2005, as a nation we imported $250 Million of produce from Mexico.  I believe we had 1.5 greenhouses to every 1 of their greenhouses.   Jump ahead to 2011.  The amount of produce imported from Mexico was $1.8 Billion and the greenhouse ratio was 3 in Mexico to every 1 in the U.S.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Mexico having an economy that is healthy.  And you know, more than likely a large share of that produce is Organic.  We love our organic vegies here in the states don't we?  So we are importing $1.8 Billion in produce from Mexico every year.  How the heck are they getting here?  Trucks of course.  Where ever they are being raised in these green houses they are then put on trucks and shipped across the U.S. one way or another.  So even if they are organic, I am just not sure if it ultimately works out if the carbon footprint is HUGE!!

So I hear that it is just to expensive to set up a greenhouse.  Or the climate I live in just isn't conducive to growing year round.  And I respond that excuses are a lot easier than action.

You can rent a warehouse in your area.  In this area you can get a 4000 sqft warehouse for around $2200.00 a month, and that is with your utilities included.  Suddenly you don't have to have a facility built.  Take classes on hydroponics.  You will find out how simple and inexpensively you can get started.  You don't have to start off with all 4000 sqft.  Do your market research.  I'm sure there are probably enough lettuce and tomatoes out there.  See what else is in need.  I'm not going to spell it out for you, but you can kind of see where I am going.  Grow vertically.  What would amount to 1 acre of vertically grown hydroponic area is around the same as 10 acres of traditionally grown crop.

So if you actually want fresh food at your table, or at your neighbors table, take a look.  You don't have to do this to become independently wealthy, but you can become wealthy within your own health.

Do something for your own environment, your health and possibly for the economy.

A Shrimp "Farm"? Seahorses and tiny lasso's?

I try to use the word farm as much as I can.  I had a friend tell me he just can't get used to the phrase "shrimp farming".  Living here in Colorado when you say farming everything possible can pop up in your mind but shrimp is a hard one sometimes.  He said he envisions little fish riding on sea horses lassoing shrimp to bring them in to take to market.  (There has to be a marketing piece there somewhere.)

So with the thought of shrimp farming being a hard one to capture in your mind, at least here at the base of the Rockies, here are some other items that are currently being farmed that you may have never thought about:

These are salt water types:

*Sea Weed
*Several different sea going fish
*There are companies right now working with raising oysters/clams in large tanks, and are being successful with them.
*Lobster
*Blue Crab
*Coral   (this one really isn't as off the wall as it may sound.  Although they are mainly used in aquariums, it is a great way to help protect natural reefs)
*Algae

There are some odd sounding items on that list aren't there?  Here in the inland areas of the U.S. we wouldn't  normally think of farming algae or seaweed, but there is actually a fairly healthy market for it.  Some of these items are still in the beginning stages of being farmed in tanks, so it would be awhile before we tried them.  Others we could attempt at any time.

For fresh water it is the same type of thing.  There are several different species that can be raised.  Colorado's aquaculture market exceeds $15 million annually.  That's not bad.  Most of that is in trout, but there are other fin fish as well.

When we farm our crops in our raceway tanks we are doing a couple of things for the environment.

1) We are actually using less water than pond farmers.  Once we fill our tanks we don't have to empty them. We are able to continually use the same water, only having to replace the water we lose to evaporation.
2) We don't need to use that much land.  The land we do need isn't having to be destroyed.  Here in Colorado we do require an indoor facility but we aren't digging deep enough 1 acre ponds that we destroy the landscape of the land.  What we would use in 5 acres it is estimated that a normal pond shrimp farming facility could take between 300 and 500 acres to accomplish the same thing.
3)  We don't require heavy machinery to operate our facilities.
4)  In the past where our carbon fuel output would have been quite significant, solar power has made it so fossil fuel use is cut back by more than 1/2.

There are more positives to this shrimp farming at the base of the Rockies   Even if it doesn't involve sea horses and tiny lasso's herding the shrimp in to take to market.  (Still a cute idea)

So just keep telling your self Shrimp Farming, Shrimp Farming, Shrimp Farming.  Better yet:  Premier Rocky Mountain Prawn, Premier Rocky Mountain Prawn, Premier Rocky Mountain Prawn.......

What is our status?

I know that we have several faithful followers on our web site (www.premierprawn.com) as well as those who read our blog on a regular basis.

It dawned on me yesterday that there have to be a handful of you that must wonder if we are an actual company, a working company or exactly what the story is.

So here is who and what we are.  We are a legal entity.  We are Premier Rocky Mountain Prawns, LLC.  Registered in the state of Colorado.  We initially registered in November 2012.

Even before we registered I had started working on my business plan, researching, looking for ways to receive education  etc.. in the aquaculture field.  When I decided I was going to pursue shrimp farming as a business, I decided to register the name and trademark with Colorado.

Since then, with a small break for the holidays, I have been working with the Small Business Development Center here in Fort Collins, writing my business plan, re-writing my business plan and re-writing my business plan.  If you have never pursued starting a business, the whole re-writing a business plan may sound like I'm not quite sure which way is up.  If you have pursued a business, you know what I am talking about.  Re-writing a business plan before you go searching for money is not an uncommon thing to do.

In the meantime I created my website so that I can let people know what is happening and what is coming up.  Let's just say it is an informative site at the moment.

To date I have finally submitted our loan paperwork to the FSA (A USDA program) for them to review and hopefully find that I am suitable to gain their backing.  For lack of a better description it is kind of like an SBA program but for agriculture ventures.  I don't know if they would necessarily agree with that description, but it is a pretty simple way to put it.  They are the backers of agriculture loans. They don't necessarily provide the money.  So they are taking the risk out of the hands of the banks in a way.  So they are reviewing my package right now, and I am waiting to hear what else they need from me.  Once I get that information and get it back to them, then they will go from there.

Once we get approval that they feel the program is viable (notice I said "we get the approval", not if... we'll then find a bank and we'll be set to go.

In the meantime we will keep updating our blog and web site.

We are always looking for investors.  This is a very viable business.  If you or anyone else you know is possibly interested in investing, please let me know and I will be happy to meet with you and give you a run down.

In the meantime, please keep checking back in.

Scott Hays
premier_prawns@comcast.net

You pay for what you get??

About a week ago I was in one of the local stores and as I usually do I went back to see what they had their shrimped priced at.  For their 18-22 shrimp per pound, they had it marked down to $5.00 a pound.  I literally shook my head as in to clear my head hoping that my eyes were just seeing it wrong, but no: that was right, it said $5.00 a pound.  The cocktail shrimp, you know the little pink cooked guys that are just piled up in the front of the case? They were at $2.00 a pound.  Since then I have been making an attempt to every time I drive by a store I will purposely stop and go inside to see what their shrimp prices are.  The highest I have seen them was a store that had previously frozen U.S. wild caught shrimp marked down to $9.00 a pound from $14.00 a pound.

Now, I guess to most people they would just say what an incredible deal.  Well, you are right: it is an incredible deal.  While you are looking at that case at shrimp for $5.00 a pound, here is what I want you to think about.

1)  First the shrimp were farm raised more than likely in Thailand, Vietnam or another Asian country.
2)  Just like here in the U.S., they have a growing season so we don't know exactly when the shrimp were harvested.
3)  Once they were harvested they were immediately frozen.
4)  Once they were frozen, they were kept in a freezer until a freighter was ready to come to the U.S. that they could be put on.
5)  They were eventually put on a freighter.  Now, we don't know how long they were in a freezer before they were put on the ship.
6)  They made their way across the Pacific.  They made it to which ever port they were going to.  They were off loaded, still in their container and had to wait for customs to get around to them.  Still frozen.  Remember that customs has to check out everything that comes off every ship coming into the U.S.
7)  Assuming that the entire shipment of shrimp is cleared to go through, they are then sent to a central ware house where they are off loaded.  And they sit, still frozen.
8)  At that point, major retailers or restaurants or whomever send their trucks to those warehouses and take them to their own warehouses where they sit in a frozen state until they are sent to a more local warehouse or their place of operation to be packaged.
9)  If it is for a store chain, they will then be sent to a local warehouse where the local stores can order what they need.
10)  By the time the shrimp hit the store, we do know that it is at least a 3-4 month process at a minimum.
11)  By this time of the year they are basically dumping everything they have in stock.  It's been in their freezers way to long.
12)  Ask yourself if that $5.00 a pound shrimp is worth it.

I know personally if I went shopping for a rib eye for dinner (my favorite cut of beef of all time), and I saw semi-frozen cuts of rib-eye just flopped on top of each other sitting on ice, and there was a sale price of $3.00 a pound, there is no way in you know what I would touch it.

So remember that just because something is only $5.00 a pound when it is normally $18.00 a pound, it doesn't mean that it always a great deal.

Right now there has been a problem in both Thailand and Vietnam where they aren't able to produce any shrimp at all.  Ok, it's only effecting about 90% of their farming.  Their farming ponds have been dry since around January.  They would normally be full with shrimp in them.  Watch to see where your shrimp are coming from in the next couple of months.  If they are still showing Thailand and Vietnam, ask your store how long ago they were harvested.  It will be interesting to know.

With all of your seafood, know where it is coming from.  Try to buy seafood that is from sustainable sources if possible.  It's not as hard as you think it is.

Organic Shrimp... What's in a word?

I've been asked several times by people if our product will be organic.  At this time, in the U.S., the USDA has not come up with the regulations for a description for an organic shrimp.  Now, that isn't a bad thing, and it isn't that they aren't working on it.  They have been working on it for quite some time.  When you think of all of the variables that could go into this decision you can understand why the qualifiers haven't been decided on.

If you take a look at everything our vegetable and meat products have to go through in order to be considered organic, we can't just put shrimp/prawns into that same type of category.  If we are looking at the pond type farming, we have large open ponds that are around an acre each.  Every year those ponds are drained in the fall, they sit empty for about 4-5 months, then they are refilled with mostly well water in the spring.  So think about what an organic farmer has to do in order to get their land certified as organic.  If I remember correctly, it's about a 2 year process.  It would be hard for a pond farmer to get it done in the same way.  The food we provide would have to be certified.  Well, most of the food we provide our shrimp is about 80-90% grain.  So our grain providers would have to be organic, or you would think.  Then the other 10% that the particular producer uses would also need to be.  But you can see where the USDA is having the problem.

On the other hand, there is an international organization that has organic standards for shrimp.  Most of their standards are how are the shrimp raised, treated.... they can't be sold live, etc...  It is a basis for shrimp being treated humanely.  Please, do not get me wrong, I think this is very very important.  And I think most farmers would agree.  The better we treat our product the better quality we will have.  But does this actually make it organic?

I feel as if I would break my customers trust by receiving the Organic Certification from the International Organization I mentioned.   Although the treatment of my shrimp is important through all stages, I don't know if this is what we consider Organic to be here in the U.S.

But how important is it to have that label for customers?  It doesn't mean it is chemical free as we would expect.   So what is in that name, the elusive "Organic" label that we search out?

Just down to earth

There are some days when you meet someone that restores your faith in mankind.  Yesterday I met with Jim Keeton of Keeton Enterprises just north of Fort Collins.

Jim is one of those guys who has been trying to retire for a couple of years now, but when you talk to him you know he'll never retire for the simple fact that he just loves what he does.  Oh, what does he do?  He is one of those guys that is into aquatics.  It might be as simple as helping that beautiful pond in your yard stay healthy, to keeping a lake healthy or as in my case helping me get off the ground with the shrimp/prawn business.  He's been all over the world helping shrimp farmers keep their farms afloat, and has saved many of them when others went away for one reason or another.

But he didn't sit there and brag about his resume'.  What he did do was sit and listen to what I needed, talked to me about some options, and we talked some more.  In the long run he talked about how I can do what I am trying to accomplish and still save money.  In addition he also talked about the possibility of investors once we got up and going.  He felt that I had what it takes to do this.  He made me feel like I belonged.  It was more than just stroking my ego.  The reason I say that is because although it is my name on the business, it could ultimately be his name behind that.  If he was out to make money he would be trying to sell me the latest and greatest of everything.  But instead of  telling me that I needed a top of the line $2000.00 water test meter, he told me how I could do the same thing with about $700.00 of equipment.  He also gave me ideas on how I could do several other things without sacrificing quality but still saving money, and I would be able to grow into the system.  There was never any talk of trying to go bigger than I needed at this point.  He knew my plan for growth in the future, so we talked about how this current system would fit into that.

But the bottom line was he was just a man who has been doing business long enough that he knows he doesn't have to throw a lot of fluff and B.S. your way just to get your business.  If he wasn't sure of something he was genuine enough to say let me check on that.

Do you think I'll continue doing business out there?  Ya, I think so too.  A Colorado company that is located 30 minutes away, they stand behind what they do, and they want to see this succeed as well. But mostly because there is an owner of a business that I could just sit down and talk to like I had known him all of my life.  After an hour there is a trust factor there I haven't been able to match.

Thanks Jim.

Scott

Jobs and Benefits

So Premier Rocky Mountain Prawns does plan on hiring employees.  We know that at first they will be part time.  We say at first because we need to wait and see what our production rate is going to be.  For the actual "farming" aspect it isn't overly labor intensive.  However, fulfilling orders could turn into a nightmare without employees.  Once we start to fulfill orders we could very well turn into a couple of full time employees and several part time employees with quite a few hours a week.

Now, with that said, according to the National Health Care act we won't be required to provide Health Care  Insurance for our employees.  WAIT!!!  Although we won't be required to, that doesn't mean we won't want to.  First of all, why won't we have to?  We will be an employer with under 50 employees.  We can't promise when it will happen, it is going to depend on our growth, but we have all intentions on providing this as soon as we can.  If nothing else we will provide a % of what our employees are paying for their health  care if their spouse isn't receiving health care through their employer.  If we can't keep our employees healthy and give them a chance to get treated when they are sick, they won't do us any good.

But what else is a benefit?  I truly believe that people only consider a benefit something huge like health care and life insurance.  If you look at some of the most succesful companies today, they may allow their employees to bring their dogs to work.  They may provide tickets to a local sports team.. or discounted tickets.  Bring your kids to work and provide day care.  Or how about this, even ask your employees what would be important to them outside of the norm.  What a concept!  Employee input.

I was driving the backway behind some businesses the other day.  In short trying to escape the traffic in front of all the businesses.  And there in back of one business that for some reason I just never thought I would see this was a group of probably a dozen or more employees being led in exercises.  Doesn't seem like it is anything to big does it?  But you know: studies have shown that just stretching can keep employees healthier and make them more productive.  The leader had that look about him like he was an actual trainer.  They were all in work out clothes, and who knows, they may have been getting ready to go on a power walk or a jog.  The employer may have put an exercise program into effect where there was a bonus program.  It's hard to tell.

A company in Japan was paying employees not to drive their car.  You could ride your bike or car pool. The first month not that many employees took advantage of it.  The 2nd month the parking lot was more than 1/2 empty.  The amount paid was only about $15 a month.  Not much, but if you add it up, that is 180.00 a year.

So when you talk about providing benefits, a company doesn't always have to just provide the big ones like health care or life insurance.  Yes, those are definately big and important.  But if your company is small enough to where they aren't required to provide those, there still isn't a reason that they can't do something special for their employees.

Now, I'm not a Republican, I'm not a Democrat.  So this isn't a discussion about politics.  This is just a discussion about how an employer can offer something that might matter and make working for them a little better.  But ask the employees what would make them happy.  Don't just assume.

The more you know...

I went to a web site that I know gives several great reading references for the growing/farming and all other kinds of things on freshwater prawn.  I've been there several times and have looked at a lot of the articles.  Last night I went there to look for the title of one specific book.  The title isn't as important as the fact that it is a $400.00 book.

Now, it is probably one of the most highly recommended books there is on the subject of raising and just general knowledge of freshwater prawns there is.  And heck, it was updated as recently as 2002.  Prawns themselves haven't changed, but the knowledge of farming and raising them have come light years.  So I am a little hesitant in purchasing that particular book.

However, I did cheat a little.  I did write down the names of specific chapters from the book and then went on a search for the most current information on that particular subject.  My dear friends: I am not again the author of this book receiving his fair due for the work he has done.  The problem is that in this industry things change so quickly before someone could get a lot of information even published it will be out of date.  From researching this business over the last 1+ years, around 2002 although there were changes happening they weren't coming as fast.  Right now it's constant.  Thus the reason for looking up current information.

Then there is that constant nagging question of who has the best information?  Is University A's information and study more accurate than University B?  Or did University C actually provide the best data?  With that it is going to come down to which football team do you like best, or who did you study with or for whatever reason have you chosen to follow that individuals path?

Do I follow the path of the people who say freshwater prawn can't be raised in RAS tanks, or do I follow the path of the guys who say of course it can, we are doing it now!!  What do you think?  The guys who say it can't be done are traditionally the ones who tried it 15 years ago before the information and technology was there.  The ones making it are the guys doing it now and are using current information and new technology.  You probably get the idea.

But it all boils down to you have to constantly learn about your field no matter what it is.  If you sit back and try to stay afloat with what you learned 10 years ago it isn't going to work.  Farmers today need to stay ahead of the game with new ways of farming.  There are new ways of doing things for bankers.  My brother the Dentist goes to continuing education classes 2 times a year and looks forward to learning new procedures and ways of doing things 30 years later.  You can't sit back and say I have always done it this way.

So keep learning, the more you know the more successful you are going to be.  Even if it is different than what you may have done before.

When do we care?

Oh the times when I should bite my tongue.  But I don't.

There was the time when we found out that our children's toys were being painted with lead based toys and then were imported from overseas.  With good reason we were up in arms.  Seriously, who wants their children putting lead based paint in their mouths?

We have cried out with rage with the amount of imports that come in from Asia, and scream at the top of our lungs "BUY AMERICAN MADE".  But somehow we turn around and watch lines of people sleep overnight at the nearest Apple Store to buy the next iPhone when they just bought the last newest iPhone last year at the same time.

Now, granted there are just some things that we will never see come back to the states in the manufacturing world because of the price.  However, what we don't hear is that the U.S. is still the number one country when it comes to manufacturing.  It is a political thing.  You know neither party was going to bring that up during the election.  It would look bad for one party and the other party would have spent to much time defending it.  It wasn't a high priority item.  However, the week after the election was over if you paid any attention to any news show you would have seen that we out produce any other nation when it comes to manufacturing.

So here is where I get on my high horse. It comes around to buying U.S. Made.  With Premier Rocky Mountain Prawn we are willing to provide a fresh local sustainable produce that will not have any antibiotics, chemicals or hormones in it.  People just look at me like "ya, what's your point".  I'm not sure how much information I should give them.  But would it matter?  Over the years there have been several news reports on the national news talking about the conditions of the shrimping industry overseas and what is used in their processing and growing systems.  But while we weren't willing to let our children put a toy in their mouth where there was even the slightest possibility of lead coming off the paint, we will watch Americans stuff their faces with shrimp that has been treated with things that we don't even allow the usage of here in the U.S.  These shrimp are imported from overseas.  Billions of pounds of it come through customs, and less than 1% is even tested.

The European Union has completely banned shrimp from the Asian countries and other places from coming into their country as they gave them a 4 year period to get their act together and provide clean shrimp.  In four years they weren't able to do it.  But the U.S. said send us everything you have.  What is it that Europe happened to know and find that the U.S. is turning a blind eye to?

The U.S. says that aquaculture is the fastest growing segment in agriculture today.  When I search grants that are available for aquaculturist they are primarily available to people researching and helping start farms in the countries that we are receiving shrimp from already.  Not the U.S. farmer interested in providing fresh products.

We are not going to stop the importing of shrimp from overseas.  But the fact that people don't care or want to know what is in the shrimp they are eating instead of shrimp that could be grown in their own backyard with no chemicals at all just astounds me.

Buy America is something that people like to say to make themselves feel better.  The Farmer Market season is just ahead of us.  If you have never been to one, go check them out.  The freshness of the majority of the items will knock your socks off.  There is a way you can buy American.  Your supermarket for the most part has very little that is bought American.  Support the local small farmer.  They will appreciate it, and I bet it's going to be healthy.

Something a little fun

Fish Tanks...  just a little different from my usual topics.  We see them square, rectangle and occassionally round.  But I thought I would throw this in so you can see a few different options if you just want something that makes a statement:

10 Unusual And Unique Fish Tanks Aquariums

by Chris Hughes

Many people buy fish aquariums as it helps them relax and some simply because they love fish. But whatever the reason, who wants to buy fish must first purchase an aquarium or fishbowl. But what type? Here are 10 unusual and unique fish tank aquariums for you to consider but remember you must always choose a suitable aquarium for the fish you are planning on getting.

1. Balancing Fishbowl

Just looking at this fish tank makes me uncomfortable, however it is resting on its counter-balanced weight so there’s probably nothing to worry about. Made from premium glass, handblown and slumped by a master glassblower each tank has it’s own unique form and individual characteristics. Available for £295.

2. One Pot, Two Lives

This one is a planter and a fish tank joined together. The fish turn their eaten bait remnants into nutrients for the plant, while the water fed to the plant is filtered as it passes though and becomes clean for the fish. It is a totally natural and lovely system.

3. Aquarium Sink

This highly entertaining accessory allows you to enjoy an aquarium or zen garden within your restroom. The top glass rises in case you need to rearrange the decor and both sides offer a large, circular entry for fish feeding.

4. Fish Tank Coffee Table

This fish tank coffee table is a crowd pleaser. Its base is a fully functional aquarium, and due to the beveled glass, nothing you place on the table will disturb the fish. There is a two inch opening on the surface where feeding occurs and the entire glass top is easily lifted when it is time to add fish or redecorate.

5. Pipeline Fish Tank

This is a guy who is truly a fan of fish and aquariums. The owner made this awesome pipeline fish tank passes over the heads of customers in his cafe. You cat take a seat, relax and watch fish swims through the pipes. It is very unusual but you must give him a mark for creativity.

6. Aquarium Office Table

If you do not have enough room in your new office to put an aquarium, just integrate an Aquarium into your desk.

7. Old TV Aquarium

Many people have old tellies lying around their homes, too good to throw out and yet impossible to sell. So what to do with them? Here is an idea turn it into a unique aquarium.

8. Aquarium Sofa

This sofa features aquariums on both its sides under the arm rests. This is ideal for those who love unusual aquariums and the price tag, USD$12,000. Ouch!

9. Labyrinth Aquarium

This very innovative and rare aquarium is offered in three colors. The tables are produced in cherry, black or carbon fiber and they conceal the rare filtration and lighting components. Fish swim freely throughout the entire aquarium. Designed for tropical freshwater fish.

10. Poor Little Fish

Poor Little Fish is an unusual approach to saving water. When using this basin, users are prompted into thinking about consumption when the water level in the fishbowl goes down (but does not actually drain out). There are two separate pipelines, so the water refills the fishbowl once the tap is turned off. Don’t worry though, the water from the tap is actually pure and not directly from the fish bowl. After all who would want to wash with fish water?

Source: Bored Panda

The Cost of Business

I suppose I should state up front that I am not naive and I have always been going into this venture eyes wide open.  Shopping around for the best deals here and there.  I know that the cost of business is high.

Now that we are to the point of narrowing down our location I know that the cost of water is going to be our main cost concern.  So with each possible location I have been contacting the local water company to find out the cost of water on the commercial side.  It has been an eye opener.  I knew there would be a difference but it is amazing how 3 cities right next to each other could be so different.  I won't name which city is which, but let me give you a break down:

City 1)   $20,000  for up to 240,000 gallons a year.  Any $$ left over from what isn't used is carried over to the following year.  We are estimating that the first year since we need to fill our tanks that we would probably have about a 40,000 gallon year.  After that, if we didn't have any expansion we would have the usage of maybe a 2 person household.  So this is a pretty good deal even though the $20,000 upfront sounds outrageous.  Take into account the unused portion carries over.

City 2)  If in the City Limits the cost is $1.76 per 1000 gallons, and outside of the city limits is $2.16 per 1000 gallons.  This is still a pretty good deal.  We know our initial draw will be around 35,000 gallons.  Then after that, again it will be around what a 2 person household would be, more than likely less.  So not to bad.

City 3)  $3.76 per gallon.  Straight up.  Our initial draw just to fill our tanks would be close to $100,000.  Let it be known that this particular city has more breweries in it than any other city in the state.  I have a hard time believing that somehow the breweries aren't getting a break on their water somehow.  But I could be wrong.

Now, WHEN we start growing and our sales start going through the roof, will city 3 not care one way or another that they are not getting the tax dollars for the fact that we weren't willing to pay the amount to fill our tanks that we could buy 50 acres of land for?  I would doubt it.  For the simple reason that they won't know.

To those of us wanting to make our business make it in a particular location, but things like this just don't make it possible it's bothersome.  But at the same time we are willing to make ourselves at home in a city that is willing to make us welcome.

So when you are starting your business make sure you are checking out everything that is going to concern your business.  You might be surprised what you will find.

Have a great weekend.
Scott

Hard not to get excited sometimes

Wow....  Roller coaster rides.  Ask my kids and they will tell you not only do I not like them, but I can't even watch shows about them on t.v.  There is something about that feeling of my stomach being at point A and my body being at point B and why they aren't at the same place.  Even watching people on t.v. gives me that blah feeling.

Then again, when I was in the military and we were in the back of a helicopter it would make a sudden dip towards the ground. It was the same principle but because of the focus that was there it never bothered me.  As a matter of fact it got the adrenalin rushing.  Ok there was that time when the crew chief had me stand up and hold onto a hose that was leaking hydraulic fluid.  That was a little unnerving.  Holding onto a leak and taking that large dip to the ground at the same time.  We weren't quite sure if the dip was supposed to be happening since we were over the ocean.  Afterwards he just said "Doc, your magic hands save lives, I figured you could cure the chopper".  Thanks sarge...

Where am I going with this?  Well when you are doing something like creating a business it is a huge roller coaster ride.  There are ups and downs.  You slowly climb those hills and it feels great because you know you are getting there, and then you crash, rather that down hill section just drops you.  Your heart is up at the top (point A) and your body is at the bottom (point B) and you wonder when they are going to meet up again.  But when you realize that what you thought was getting ready to be the big climax just dropped out from beneath you, you sit there for a second, get all your parts and pieces back together again and start to climb that hill again.  Eventually you hit the top of the hill, and inside there is this big death chilling scream which you later realize is you falling to the bottom again.  And this just constantly repeats itself.

The last couple of days I have gone from that roller coaster ride to being back inside that Marine Helicopter. One sailor inside of a chopper with his platoon of Marines.  Everyone of those Marines has his back and they aren't going to let anything happen to him.  Things are flying fast at this point.  But now when there is a drop it isn't as devastating   I'm to the point where I know we are finally getting down to the end, where that chopper is going to land and the mission will be on.  The things that previously just dropped my to the bottom now just have my stomach turn just a little, but I know that I'm still in the air.  My focus is steady, it is able to see the goal.  That pilot is the SBA, the co-pilot has come in the form of people I didn't even know two months ago.  They keep in touch with me and give me unsolicited support.  And of course, there is that one crew chief that still has me stand up and grab that hydraulic hose.  I swear he does that just to get a rise out of me.  Trust me, I still have a pulse even if it doesn't look like it.

So in the past I started holding back that excitement for fear I was in line for a roller coaster ride.  Not now.  I'm back on that Chinook and am waiting to land with those Marines in front of me.

Scott

And another farm

People still think it is odd that I want to open a prawn farm here in Colorado.  It isn't a matter of being the first one to do it.  It is more a matter of being pro-active.  That is another thing people don't quite understand.  How can you be pro-active with something like this?  Well, how many times have you seen something come out on the market and think to yourself "I have thought about doing something like that so many times"?  Or a similar thought?

In all of my research I have realized that this isn't a passing fad.  This is an industry that once stayed put in the southeastern United States. (not counting overseas).  Now, I'm not just throwing names of states out here.  When I first started looking into this business, here is where there were similar types of shrimp/prawn farms.  Texas, Florida, New Hampshire and Nevada.

It is now about 8 months later, and here are the states that I know of that now have Recirculating Systems.  Texas, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina.  Today an article came out that a new RAS farm just recently opened in Massachusetts.

So why am I being pro-active?  I started to look about 3-5 years down the line and I can tell you with certainty that Colorado will be one of the next states to have a shrimp/prawn facility.  We already have Tilapia farms, trout farms and more.  The aquaculture system in our state is close to a $15 million industry annually.  So yes, there is money to be made.  What I really don't want to have happen is to have someone who didn't grow up in Colorado to move in and say they understand what is going on here.

So with my Community Funded page, http://communityfunded.com/projects/premierscott/for-the-health-of-us-all/  and I do grovel for help getting up and going, it's not a ploy, it's not because I'm trying to scam anyone.  It's an honest effort to get a business that will provide jobs for Colorado-ans   A chance to provide a community garden that will help our neighbors that might be able to use the extra nutrition for their kids.  All that warm fuzzy stuff.

But it is about being pro-active.  The RAS facilities are getting closer.  It isn't a passing fad.  I know a lot of people feel that way.  Think about what you would like to see here.  Imported frozen goods at the store are easy.  This takes a little extra work.  I'm willing to put in the work for you and your family.

Scott

U.S. Shrimpers requesting subsidies

Farmers get subsidies....  well, it just seems like everyone gets subsidies doesn't it.  Not it is the shrimper on the coasts right?  Now, I'm not saying that all industries deserve or should get them, but here is the basic story on what our shrimp fleets go through.  They have about a 4-5 month shrimping season.  Overseas they are primarily farming everything in shrimp and prawn.  (ok, this ultimately effects PRMP as well, so we are interested).  With an annual  world wide sales of over $110 Billion dollars in shrimp, the U.S. is producing about $1.6 Billion.  I want to provide you with the following information and see if the U.S. shrimp fleets are in their right to be a little angry, and should probably be filing suit with the WTO.  Or our government should:

Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries Fact Sheet on Shrimp Subsidy Petitions

• As shrimp imports drove down prices in 2012, the USA shrimp industry began to suffer operating losses.

• The petitions document more than $13.5 billion in government subsidies to the aquaculture and seafood processing industries in these countries, with the shrimp industry as the primary recipient.

• The petitions detail over one hundred programs benefiting shrimp producers in the seven countries, including direct government grants and equity infusions, cheap loans, debt forgiveness, tax breaks, the direct provision of land, shrimp feed, and other key inputs, as well as numerous export subsidies.

• The Government of Thailand intervenes in the market to buy shrimp from farmers and provide that shrimp to processors at artificially low prices.

• The Indian government provides subsidies to reduce shrimp processors’ ocean freight costs, with an added subsidy specifically for exports to the USA.

• In China, the government is providing financing to build what it hopes will be the world’s largest shrimp processing and export platform.

• The Malaysian government is investing tens of millions of dollars to build vertically integrated shrimp farms and processing facilities to target world export markets.

nough said?