DID YOU KNOW?…………this is no small fish farm! I don’t think that most of our customers realize that we have a large fish farm at Danbury. Danbury Fish Farms spans over 800 acres and comprises over 100 freshwater lakes or ponds. It is on this farm that your fish for stocking ponds live out their life cycle “on the farm” until they find a new home in your lakes and ponds. These fish are spawned, reared and “tended to” in “our” fish farm ponds. Just as Blue Bell Ice Cream has there “little creamery in Brenham”, most famous wine makers have their “own” vineyards, and thousands of companies have their “own” product production lines, so it goes with Danbury Fish Farms. Most companies realize that in order to produce a very high quality and consistent product, they must do it themselves. Being able to raise our own fish in our own ponds allows us to have tremendous quality control over the end product, fish for stocking ponds,  that our customers receive. Fish are perishable and they can very easily contact diseases that can have significant detrimental post stocking effects. Many fish that pond owners receive from unreliable sources do not survive to become adult fish, they have perished somewhere along the way. Danbury Fish Farms has raised fish for stocking ponds for over 40 years, realizes the importance of producing and delivering “quality” fish for its customers, and is experienced and dedicated to doing just that.

The commercial production of fish in freshwater lakes is referred to as freshwater aquaculture, and this is the business we have been in at Danbury ever since we decided to venture into this business back in 1969, when we built our first 15 acre lake to raise our first catfish. Aquaculture is considered to be agriculture because it is the intensive production of animals. Aquaculture operations are similar to many commercial agriculture operations in that it requires a tremendous amount of initial capital investment to begin a fish farm. Land and water are the two main ingredients to any successful fish farm.

The Zwahr’s, having moved to Danbury in the 1950’s, were in the rice and cattle business. Rice and cattle both need land on which to live and grow and rice production requires lots of water. Clarence Zwahr, Kenny’s father, was an innovative entrepreneur, with much insight and started buying land and acquiring water rights upon which to operate his rice and cattle business. When the time was right to diversify into something new in the late 60’s, the land and plentiful water was in place. Once you have the land, then the land must be developed into lakes and ponds. After building our first pond in 1969, we were successful with selling our first crop of fish in 1970, so Clarence and his two sons, Kenny and Brent Zwahr, began to lay out the plans for a “fish farm” to be constructed over what use to be rice farm land. Clarence, being a rice farmer for 15 years, had a lot of knowledge of water, water management and drainage, so many water conservation and water management features were incorporated into this fish farm plan. During the 1970’s, Danbury Fish Farms built freshwater lakes, one lake at a time, and the majority of what is now Danbury Fish Farms was constructed and developed.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Once the major investment in the land, the developed freshwater lakes, and the water is made, then one must invest substantial sums of money in operating equipment. Equipment needed for aquaculture is somewhat similar to that needed for many agriculture operations plus those items needed for fish production and include such things as trucks, tractors, mowers, fish feeders, seine reels, seines, boats and motors, fish graders. Once the land, water and operating equipment is in place, the there must be personnel, along with operating capital, who will operate and manage the fish farm. These people must be dedicated and focused “aquaculturists” and know how to raise and manage fish, in every sense of the word. They must be productive and manage for quality fish. Producing “quality” fish for our customers is the culmination of a very large investment, an intensive day to day production routine that takes focus, hard work and a commitment to excellence, and a love for the business. Being “down on the fish farm” is something our production team has a deep passion to do and  takes very seriously.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Danbury Fish Farms has been in business producing quality fish for stocking ponds for our customers for over 40 years. While many smaller fish farms, fish brokers and fish distributors have “come and gone” like a plague, Danbury Fish Farms has endured and stood the test of time. During the coming weeks and months in our “Down on the Fish Farm” Series, we will give you much more insight into our operations, what we do, why we do it, and what this means to you our customer. You will begin to gain insight and understand into the importance of dealing with a reputable company, who will “stand behind” what they sell, and why many won’t. Just like a great vineyard prides itself in making fine wine because they control all the variables, our Danbury Team prides itself in providing our customers with the best live fish product your money can buy.

 For more information call Danbury Fish Farms today at 919-922-8414, or email us at info@danburyfishfarms.com , or visit our website at www.danburyfishfarms.com .