JACKSON, MI – After working 33 years at a chemical technologies company, Brian Benjamin decided to begin a second chapter in his life.
His wife stumbled upon a farm for sale and he decided they should check it out. However, he wasn’t expecting to see the kind of farm it was.
“I didn’t know if they were growing longhorn cattle or chickens. I had no idea,” Benjamin said. “We drove up here, and I saw all these fish and I said, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know anything about fish.’”
The farm was Indian Brook Trout Farm and, while Benjamin had no background or experience with fish, he loves to learn and was willing to take on the challenge. So, they bought the farm at 5883 W. Michigan Ave. and renamed it Eagle Creek Fish Company in 2020, right after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The fish farm specializes in growing rainbow trout to sell to restaurants throughout Michigan. Thousands of fish are raised from an egg to adult in a journey that takes roughly two years before they are sold.
The fish start in the hatchery building, Farm Manager Brad Dunlap said, where the eggs are hatched. Once hatched, the sac-fry are moved into a trough inside the hatchery.
After they reach about four to five months old, the fish are moved to large concrete raceways, or an artificial channel, outside, Dunlap said. The fish grow outside until they are 2 years old, or one to two pounds, before they are harvested with a net, processed and sold.
The process requires patience but it’s worth it to grow the best quality fish possible. Benjamin also doesn’t usually call Eagle Creek Fish Company a “farm” because of the factory-farm connotation, he said, adding the rainbow trout grow naturally and are not helped with hormones.
“It’s very slow -- let mother nature take its course,” Benjamin said.
The fish are taken care of by the staff, including Dunlap and Assistant Farm Manager James Rebuldela. Creating a stress-free environment is key to raising healthy trout, Rebuldela said, adding that making sure they’re eating well, growing properly and have clean water is essential for them to live happily.
The rainbow trout prefer water that’s cold, clean, fast moving, and rich in oxygen, Benjamin said. They live on 90 acres, so they’re in tune with the natural surroundings.
“This is 365 days a year, these are living creatures, we’re the stewards for them and we have to care for them in a sensitive and compassionate manner,” Benjamin said.
The work pays off because the fish feed people all around the state after they are shipped to many Michigan restaurants, including Bellflower in Ypsilanti, Mad Nice in Detroit and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
The farm also has recently started offering a community market from 1 to 6 p.m. Thursdays. People can stop buy and purchase fresh or smoked, 8- to-10-ounce filets for $5.99. Recipe cards are also handed out to customers.
People have described the taste as mild and fresh, with a soft and tender texture, Benjamin said, adding the fish can be prepared by pan frying, baking, smoking or grilling.
The market helps the farm get closer to the community, but it also provides local access to fresh and healthy fish, Benjamin said.
“I think people are just amazed they can get something so fresh, caught maybe three hours before they buy it,” Benjamin said. “The quality is just something that they’ve never experienced and it’s also a relatively low price.”
More information can be found on Eagle Creek Fish Company’s Facebook page and website
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February 04, 2024 at 10:00PM
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Order trout at a Michigan restaurant and chances are a Jackson farm raised it - MLive.com
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