Community Update

                        RUSHING WATERS WISCONSIN TROUT FARM SUPPLIES

                        MANY AREA RESTAURANTS AND MARKETS

                                                By A. J. Goldsmith

            Swimming contentedly in the cool spring waters of
southeast Wisconsin, thousands of Kamloops* rainbow trout are oblivious to the
fact that just one or two hours away dinner plates await them.

            Rushing Waters is Wisconsin’s largest rainbow trout farm
producing 315,000 pounds of fresh fish throughout the year for delivery to
Illinois and Wisconsin restaurants and markets.

“Rushing Waters’ trout
are swimming when you place your order,” says Peter Fritsch who has been
president of the company since 1997.

 Fritsch earned as biology degree-with a major
in                

 limnology/ minor in fisheries- from the
University

 of Wisconsin at Stevens Point.

            “Freshness is a key. At Rushing Waters it is 15 minutes
from pond to processing,” says Fritsch.

            He points out that his staff works 365 days a year and 24
hours      Peter Fritsch

a day.

The list of Chicago restaurants featuring trout from         

 Rushing Waters includes Nellcôte, Nightwood,
Perennial

Virant, Quay and Tesori. Mariano’s Fresh Market
and Whole          

Foods Market offer
filets or whole Rushing Waters’ trout. Milwaukee’s La Merenda Restaurant also
has Rushing Waters’ trout on its menu.

The farm’s 56 aquifer-fed, aerated, sand-bottom fish ponds are snuggled
in 80 acres of the Kettle Moraine State Forest a mile south of the town of
Palmyra (Pop. 1,200) on County Highway H just four miles north of U.S. Highway
12 that links Elkhorn and Whitewater.

This southeast Wisconsin state forest is well known to Chicagoans
who bike, hike, cross country ski, snowmobile or ride horses on its scenic
trails.

I met with Dori Sorensen, the company’s marketing director.

She appeared from the sterile cleaning area where she had been
assisting to fill an order. She wore a net covering her hair and rubber boots
that reached her knees. While the initial eviscerating of the fish is done by
machine, trimming requires expert hands.

Sorensen said that Rushing Waters had expanded its line of branded
products beyond fresh trout. In the retail store she pointed to two flavors of
trout-based dog treats (Rainbow Trout & Golden Beet, Rainbow Trout &
Cranberry), Japanese-style, sun-dried tomato/panko breadcrumbs, frozen salmon
burgers, frozen crab cakes and spreads of salmon and trout. In the offing is a
line of seafood soups and chowders.

The Trout House is the company’s new onsite restaurant. (See
Sidebar)

While I was waiting to meet with Sorensen, I checked out the array
of offerings in the retail store’s freezer. There were walleye, swordfish,
marlin, mahi mahi (dolphin), Lake Perch, shrimp, lobster claws. Scallops and
crab meat.  The cold case displayed
freshly- smoked salmon and trout, flavored trout labeled citrus, Cajun,
peppered and lemon & dill. Whole smoked rainbow trout was $10.99 a pound
while filets were $12.99 a pound. Fresh, dressed rainbow trout was $7.99 a
pound while butterflied trout sold for $9.00 a pound.

Sorensen took me on a walk through a portion of the property.

            “We have beautiful water here; we allow nature to provide
the right climate for healthy fish,” she said pointing out that the water is
maintained at 45 degrees year round.

            Rushing Waters’ trout are all females. They are
chemical-free from egg to harvest with no antibiotics or preservative. All
harvesting is done by hand. Staff wades into the pools and use  a wooden box that allows smaller fish to
escape by falling through the screened bottom. Harvesting is only done to fill
order for immediate shipping. The trout are never frozen.

As we passed the first pond with ready –to- harvest fish, I noted
a platform along the water.

“Rushing Waters is more than a fish farm. It is a destination for
family fun and fishing.  No license is
required. We rent the rods for $2.00 a day and sell the worms for $2.00 a dozen.
The visitors pay $5.50 a pound for trout they catch. The price is a bit more if
Rushing Waters cleans the fish,” she explained.

“There are no throwbacks allowed.”

            Moving along she took us to several ponds containing trout
fingerlings. These ponds were covered by netting to provide shade and to
protect the fish from voracious egrets, herons and other hungry birds and their
droppings while allowing air to flow freely. Various barriers are erected to
discourage scavenging raccoons, beavers and other terrestrials. Watercress and
other plants line the ponds’ edge providing insects for food and for recycling
of fish waste.

Just past the fingerling pools in a sheltered building, we met
14-year veteran Farm Manager Justin Evans who treated us to a trout’s life
cycle story.

Rushing Waters buys fertile eggs from a company in the state of
Washington.  These eggs only hatch into
female fish. The green-stage eggs are gently placed in a screened, vertical
tray incubator with water at a temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit forced in
from below. This green- stage may last 20 days before changing to pink with two
dark spots that resembling eyes. This eyed stage lasts for two to three weeks. Traffic
through this shed is held to the minimum so to reduce the possibility of
contamination. The next stage called “Alevin” feeds from a placenta-like yolk
sac for another two to three weeks until its nutrients are exhausted. The
resulting fry float to the surface seeking food. The trout farmer must supply
protein and fat. Fingerlings appear in 16-20 weeks. In 18 months the trout are
large enough to be harvested.

            Evans has a staff of five to help feed the trout, harvest
and care for the ponds. Feeding twice a day, he says they go through three tons
of feed a week. The food is based primarily on fish meal and soybeans. Vitamins
and minerals are added. There is no land-based animal protein in the food.

            According to Fritsch, Rushing Waters has increased its
presence in Wisconsin farmers’ markets from one in 2012 to eight in 2013.

            “There is a big boom now in buying locally-grown food.
Whether it is corn-on-the cob, apples or fresh trout, consumers are willing to
pay a little more for local,’ says Fritsch who credits a “more educated”
consumer making choices.

·       Kamloops is an area and
a city in British Columbia.

Rushing Waters Trout Recipes

Parmesan Rainbow Trout

6 Rainbow Trout Fillets                         One Cup Mayonnaise

One Egg White, stiffly beaten               1/4 Cup Snipped Chives

One tablespoon Minced Parsley          
4 tablespoons Grated Parmesan

Combine the mayonnaise with the chives. Carefully fold in ½ - ¾ of
the beaten egg white to lighten the mayo. (Not too much to make the mixture loose).
Rinse the fillets in salted water and pat dry. Place the fillets on an elevated
rack in a large, greased baking dish. Cover fillets evenly with the mayo
mixture, sprinkle with parmesan and parsley. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and
bake for about five minutes or until topping is puffy. Finish the filets by
broiling until the topping becomes golden brown.

Sesame Grilled Rainbow
Trout

6 Rainbow Trout
Fillets                           ½ Cup
Lemon Juice

            Four teaspoons Salt                                ¼ tablespoon Black Pepper

            ¼
Cup Sesame Seeds                               ¾ Cup Butter

            Make three light slashes on each side of the fish.
Combine lemon juice, salt and pepper. Marinate fish in refrigerator all day.
Toast sesame seeds until brown. Add butter and heat. Drain lemon juice mixture
from fish and add some to sesame seeds and butter. Place fish in wire grill
basket or directly on grill. Cook over medium coals about 5 minutes on each
side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Baste frequently with sesame-seed
mixture. Note: Spray either the
basket or grill with a general coating of non-stick spray.

Figure 1 Working
aerators on pond of adult trout

Figure 2 Sorensen
tending to customer at Rushing Waters retail store

Figure 3 Farm
Manager Justin Evans checks early-stage eggs in trays

4. SIDEBAR FOR RUSHING WATERS TROUT STORY

              The Trout
House is the name selected for the new restaurant opened on the site of Rushing
Waters, Wisconsin’s largest trout farm, according to Peter Fritsch, the
company’s president.

              Seating
70 diners, The Trout House will also have an outdoor patio and be able to
accommodate larger groups for special events.

              Onboard
as executive chef is Nathan Chappell who trained at the French Culinary
Institute and served four year as chef of the Agricultural Institute in East
Troy, Wisconsin. He will also be charge with wine selection.

              According
to Fritch, The Trout House is open Friday through Sunday throughout the year
for general dining, by reservation. During the week, Fritsch expects The Trout
House to be a destination for bus tours of Southeast Wisconsin, business
meetings and serve as a conference center.

              A
diversified menu will feature, trout of course, and offerings of seasonal
freshwater and saltwater fish, seafood and inspired meat selections. Fritsch
that The Trout House will put its own spin on Wisconsin’s traditional Friday
fish fry as well as the Door County fish boil.

A.     
J. Goldsmith