Adults: Debbie, Ed, Kristen and Jason
Children: Jackson and Zoe
A local family farm that offers fresh, saltwater shrimp is one of the 17 Hoosier farms being highlighted in the Indiana State Fair’s Featured Farmers program.
The Troike family’s Walkerton-based “Hoosier Shrimp Farm” will be in the spotlight at the State Fair in Indianapolis this week. Their day of recognition is Tuesday, August 14th.
According to an article provided by the Indiana State Fair, Jason and Kristen Troike started the Hoosier Shrimp farm in the spring of 2014, with the help of Jason’s parent Ed and Debbie. Kristen commented that the family is very proud to be able to provide landlocked northwest Indiana with a seafood product that can’t normally be obtained in-state.
The article also explains the unique farming practices that the Troike family takes on in order to provide this rare service to Hoosier consumers.
Rather than a field like most farmers, the Troikes have a temperature-controlled insulated facility that is constantly kept at 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
Inside the large metal building, there are apparently 16 above-ground swimming pools which each hold about 5,000 gallons of saltwater. Each 16-foot tank is first stocked with about 4,000 7-day old larval shrimp and after about five to six months, the desired shrimp are harvested for retail sale.
The Troikes are reportedly quite proud of their environmentally friendly production system. They only add water, salt, baking soda, growth bacteria and lime to their tanks.
Kristen noted that there is a lot of trial and error involved in this process. She stated they have learned a great deal but still have a lot of knowledge to gain about how to improve their yield and since there isn’t much information out there about it she said they have to learn on the fly.
Though the family is admittedly still learning, their business is taking off. Kristen noted that since they’ve had such great community support, they haven’t had to look outward for additional customers.
If you happen to miss the Troike family at the Indiana State Fair this week, don’t fret. They also offer free tours of their operation. The farm is open to the public from 2 until 6 p.m. on Fridays and from 1 until 4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit hoosiershrimpfarm.com.
