Wisconsin's Largest Fish Farm

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 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 orders 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


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.