ROANOKE, Va. (VAFB) — In rural Virginia, a trout hatchery that dates back to the 1930s is still in operation today. At Smoke in Chimneys, Ty Walker runs the farm using a natural spring that pushes about 3,000 gallons of limestone-filtered water per minute through the system to raise trout.
Walker says the most important part of the business is selling locally, as well as the life lessons that come along with it.
“You’re building the farm, but the farm is really building you,” he said. “It’s teaching discipline. It’s teaching you the skill set to really be successful in every other avenue of life.”
That local connection also led to a partnership with Lucky Restaurant. Head Chef and General Manager Jeremy Smelsner says he first met Walker at a farmers’ market.
“Our relationship began at a farmers’ market at Grandin,” Smelsner explained. “I was there with my family one Saturday morning, and saw Ty selling some fish. As soon as I tried it, I knew I had to have it on the menu here at Lucky.”
Smelsner says he values the friendship he has cultivated with Walker, as well as the care the trout receive at the family hatchery.
According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, about 80 percent of trout fishing in the state depends on hatcheries, with around one million fish stocked each year.
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!
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Many turn to the online resale market when economic times are uncertain, buying items for cheaper prices or selling quality items for extra money. Reselling secondhand items is also an efficient way to declutter and get some cash back for valuable items you no longer need.
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With 2023 projected to be a difficult year for agricultural producers, Chapter 12 filings may increase. One of the requirements to get a Chapter 12 reorganization plan approved is that be filed in “good faith.” In this blog post, RFD-TV Legal Contributor Roger A. McEowen explains exactly what farmers need to know about the process.
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The failure of a grain elevator can cause large problems for farmers and for the local community it serves. A farmer who knows their rights and where they stand if an elevator fails can be in a better position than those farmers who aren’t as well informed. That is the topic of today’s blog post by RFD-TV Legal Contributor Roger A. McEowen.
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