Raising prawns for profit         

Sustainable ag tour Aug. 12

[JULY 8, 2005]  URBANA -- J.C. Lyons wanted a hobby. Growing shrimp won out. In March of 1999 he and his wife, Brenda, started researching the topic and from there grew a business into a multifaceted enterprise.

Raising fresh-water shrimp is another way that farmers can expand their current operation, supplement their income and remain economically sustainable. A tour of the Lyons Fisheries Prawn Farm in Sandoval is the fifth of six sustainable agriculture tours this year sponsored by the Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Illinois.

"Two years ago, one of our sustainable ag tours visited Grover Webb's prawn farm in Simpson, Ill., and there was quite a bit of interest from folks," said Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, a U of I research specialist in the Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program. "In the past two years the prawn industry has grown rapidly, so we felt that visiting a different operation would be interesting and timely."

When asked whether raising prawns has proven to be profitable, Brenda Lyons answered candidly, "Just like any business, you have to spend money to make money. We have not covered our investment costs yet, but we believe our prawn/fish farm will be profitable in the future. We sell frozen seafood on our farm, which includes prawns, catfish and rainbow trout. We engage in agri-tourism during our harvests. Last April we hosted anglers for two weekends who paid to fish for rainbow trout. In September we will open our farm to the public for our second annual prawn harvest festival." Lyons said she and J.C. also sell pond aeration equipment and plan to use the facility in the offseason to raise tilapia, high-bred striped bass and rainbow trout.

Since about the time Brenda and J.C. Lyons went into business, the fresh-water prawn industry in Illinois has grown from zero acres to over 50. Lyons said that a maximum of 20,000 prawns can be raised per acre. "The stocking density affects the size of the prawn at harvest time," she said. "So, if fewer prawns are stocked -- say, 15,000 -- the size is more uniform and larger."

Visitors on the tour will see how farm-raised freshwater prawns are produced. There will be a presentation with information about how to get started in the industry, getting aquaculture support, developing tourism and grant funding. The tour will include the hatchery, nursery and grow-out ponds as well as live prawns on display.

Frozen prawn tails and cookbooks will be available for sale.

Visitors can arrive anytime after 9 a.m. for morning refreshments and check-in. The tour begins at 10 a.m. Lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m.

Registration and payment at least one week in advance is required. Lunch is included in the $15 registration fee. Visit http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/asap/topics/tours.html to register and for more details about this tour and the other scheduled tours, or contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at [phone] or [e-mail].

The last tour scheduled for this year is entitled "Marketing for Ag Entrepreneurs" and will be on Sept. 13 in Arthur.

The tours are sponsored by the Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois; the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Professional Development Program; and the Illinois Small Farm Task Force.

[News release from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences]