E2-Grower & Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 8, 2003
The Stacks’ Paradise Trout Hatchery Still Going Strong After 100 Years
(Continued from Page El)
regulations—all while at the
mercy of the weather. She has
essentially the same concerns
that all livestock producers
have.
Paradise Trout Hatchery
began in 1902 when a group of
men from northeast Pennsyl
Shown is one of the self feeders used at Paradise.
Fish food is dropped into the water when the trout bump
or tug on the string that hangs into the water.
Straw Blower
• Self feeding
•1-2 bales per minute
• Cover approximately one
acre per hour
• 6”x3o’ wear-resistant
discharge hose
• 13, 16 or 18hp gas
powered or PTO
driven 3-pomt
• Rotor - pre-balanced
hex shaft
Gmsm
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M*' * 00AC TMfl / Lititz, PA 17543-0395
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Fax 717-626-0996 1-800-414-4705 0f arTT !- ,an
vania and New Jersey found
ed the stock-owned company.
The original hatchery and
raceways are still in use today,
and through regular mainte
nance withstood the test of
time.
In 1922 Martin’s grandfa
ther was hired as foreman at
the hatchery. Some changes
Chipper/Shredder
• Two machines in one -
for branches and brush
• Up to 5” diameter branches
• Blower attachment optional
• 18hp Honda gas engine
(as shown) or PTO
driven 3-pomt
• Anti-kickback device
Available now at.
occurred over the years, and
now the business is privately
owned and operated. The
Stack family has owned and
operated the business for more
than 75 years, where they
raise Brook, Brown, and Rain
bow trout for sale as stocking
fish for private lakes and
streams by individuals and
fishing clubs, and have
also operated a fee fishing
pond since 1968. There are
four full-time employees
with part-time help hired
during the busy seasons.
The sale of live fish for
stocking purposes is the
largest portion of their
business with sales and de
livery to customers within
a 90- to 100-mile radius.
The family has also noted
that the customers at their
fee fishing pond also tend
to originate from the same
100-mile radius. The loca
tion of the farm is ideal to
tap into the tourist traffic
that comes to the Pocono
Mountains each summer.
Paradise was the first li
censed hatchery in Penn
sylvania. During the 19305,
it was one of the largest
sellers of fish eggs, supply
ing customers throughout
the world. Thus is the rea
son why the hatchery
building is no doubt one of
the largest you will see.
Doing everything the
old-fashioned way—by
hand—Martin does not
bring outside fish into the
operation. By harvesting
the eggs from their own
fish, she has avoided the
Inside of hatchery at Paradise Trout Hatchery
shows the pools where young trout live after leaving
the incubators. The walls of each pool are washed
daily. Belt feeders that are used to feed the fish can
be seen on top of the pools.
possibility of bringing diseases
or health problems to their op
eration. The business raises
approximately 150,000
pounds of trout per year from
start to finish.
Harvesting is done by hand
in late summer and early fall
with the crew handling each
fish to extract the eggs and
sperm. They harvest the eggs
from August through October,
taking eggs once each week.
The prime breeding age of the
trout is two to three years with
each pound of fish producing
1,000 eggs. Paradise has done
some selective breeding by
mating the best producing and
growing fish to increase the
quality of the fish they raise.
The eggs are in incubators
for 30-40 days. The warmer
the water, the quicker the eggs
will hatch. Incubators used by
Martin resemble trays similar
to a chest of drawers.
The fish leave the incuba
tors to live in the pools in the
hatchery building. While some
are still housed in the original
rectangular cement pools,
Martin said that the newer
hard rubber circular pools are
more to her liking. The move
ment of the fish in the circular
pools resembles the natural
swimming pattern of schools
of fish in their natural habitat.
At this age, the young trout
need the cleanest, purest
water available to insure
healthy growth, so each day
the water is lowered in the
pools to allow the walls to be
washed. Trout will not grow
without clean, fresh water.
The colder the water, the
healthier the fish will be, with
the ideal water temperature
for optimum feeding and
growth at 50-55 degrees. Since
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