A delivery of 10,000 trout was made on a cold moonlit January night to Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College’s Aquaculture Learning Center in Lynch as part of the program’s newest entrepreneurial venture.

According to Dean of Community Business and Development Paul Pratt, the venture involves three local men who will have some ownership in the project and will help farm and market the trout. “This is also an exciting collaboration with Kentucky State University, who is offering assistance with this venture,” Pratt said. “We’ve been in discussions with this group for about a year, and we hope to eventually formalize a partnership.”

Representatives with the Kentucky State University Aquaculture Program were present at the old U.S. Steel District machine shop where SKCTC’s trout tanks are located. They, along with local key players in the community who helped initialize the collaboration, waited patiently for the delivery from Pennsylvania.

When the lumbering truck chugged to a halt, individuals pitched in and helped transfer the fish into four large tanks. It was a tedious operation as oxygen levels in the water had to be precise; the fish were transferred with buckets into the tanks to ensure a successful relocation.

“This was a pretty sizable delivery,” Pratt said. “It may be one of the largest we’ve had. There’s been a lot of work involved in getting prepared for the night. We’ve had to freshen everything up, clean the tanks and get the water flowing.”

The three local entrepreneurs will oversee their own tank of trout as part of a business incubator project. Each tank contains 2,500 fish. Mike Sergent, of Partridge; Fred Marsili, of Lynch; and Kurt Cornett, of Linefork, will be investing in the growth of the project and helping to oversee operations.

James Tidwell, Ph.D., professor and chairman of KSU’s Division of Aquaculture, said his agency’s role in the project is to help propel the entrepreneurial endeavor. “We’re here to help take this venture to the next level,” Tidwell said. “We’re actually buying the fish and the feed, but we’re also here to offer advice, address questions and help this community cultivate the business aspect of the project and to take their product out to the market.”

The KSU Aquaculture Program is the national leader in research on fresh-water shrimp and paddlefish. The Aquaculture Center and Cooperative Extension Service Programs at KSU provide statewide services of aquaculture production, consulting, disease diagnosis, water quality testing and site evaluations.

Tidwell said aquaculture was the fastest-growing food-producing industry in the world. “In Kentucky, we’re trying to make strides right now for the industry to grow,” he said. “And we’re just starting to scratch the surface, but nights like this are exciting. Harlan County is a good location for aquaculture ventures because of its mines. The most important component of an aquaculture operation is water, and in a former coal mining town like Lynch, you’ve got a great source of cold water running from these mines into the streams that’s not being used. This is a good way to take advantage of that natural, available resource, so yes, there’s a great amount of potential for a successful acculturate industry in Harlan County.”

Sergent said he was anxious to “try out” the venture once he learned about it. He’s employed as an occupational therapist, but the opportunity to experiment with a new type of business and to be a part of an innovative venture in Harlan County was worth his investment. “This area is ideal for aquaculture,” he said. “We’ve got fresh, cold water pouring out of these mines, and it’s an opportune time for something new and different. It’s exciting to be a part of that, too. The coal may be mined out, but we’ve got other natural resources here to give us hope.”

A prospective market for the business venture is Shuckman’s Fish Company and Smokery, which is based in Louisville. The company primarily markets smoked salmon and has also become recently known for packaging domestic caviar.

Jeremy Williams, Harlan County extension agent for agriculture and natural resources, has worked closely with the SKCTC Aquaculture Learning Center and believes the January delivery is the beginning of a timely enterprise for locals. “This is a great opportunity for aquaculture in Harlan County,” Williams said. “This partnership between KSU and SKCTC is very promising, and it’s also great to have these three local entrepreneurs involved.”