SANGER – J&J Aquafarms in Sanger has been in the game for almost 40 years, and even after roughly four decades, is by no means “fin”-ished with business.
Owner/operator John Young – Janet is the other J in the name – said he got into the business for one simple reason: “I just love fish,” Young said.
That love has served the Youngs well since they started the enterprise in 1985. Today, the operation includes 55 acres, multiple ponds, wine grapes, a large clientele across the state, some cattle and goats. The latter are for sale but are also used for grazing.
“The pond banks grow a lot of grass and weeds because they’re constantly watered,” said Young. “The animals keep down the vegetation.”
The Youngs met in the Bay Area during college. Young received a degree in fisheries from U.C. Davis. Janet is from Sanger. J&J occupies land that belonged to Janet’s father. The two were living in Oakland when they visited the Sanger property.
“We came down to look at the land. It was suitable for fish farming,” Young said. “We said, ‘Yeah, let’s make a go of it.’”
It began slowly. Young continued to work in a local vineyard for the first 10 years to pay the bills.
“In 1995, we went out on our own,” he said.
CATFISH, BASS AND BLUEGILL
The company also sells food for human consumption. Initially, the company catered to live fish markets in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As J&J grew and developed its own markets, it dropped those contracts. At present, about 95% of the company’s clients are in California, with 75% of those in the Valley.
J&J raises eight species of fish. The company sells live fish for ponds and other industries, like fishing derbies, according to Young. The most popular fish from their selection is the Channel catfish, followed by bass and bluegill.
The company is busiest between April and August. During that time, there are roughly one million fish in the ponds. Young said an average day during the season consists of breeding and harvesting fish – the eight species breed at different times during spring and summer. J&M also raises aquatic plants such as water lilies, which they ship all over the country.
Young said poachers and birds are the company’s biggest problems.
“People seem to think when they see a body of water, they have the right to fish in it,” he said, laughing. “They climb fences, cut fences. Do anything to get at the fish. There’s something about fish that people think it’s not private property.”
Chasing off poachers is a weekly occurrence, he said. And it is not always friendly.
“We try to create goodwill in the community,” he said. “People know we work with the community. We do educational and community events. Basically, if you mess with us, you’re just hurting the community.”
Young said osprey and other fish-eating waterfowl pose problems.
“Ospreys are federally protected. We cannot harm them,” he said. Noisemakers and vigilant employees guard against thieving birds.
The company is also involved in education. Schools conduct field trips to the Sanger location and Young has installed aquaponics systems at Sanger High. He has also worked with schools in Clovis, Caruthers and Visalia.
Young said he has learned to work smarter in the nearly 40 years he has been raising fish. When the company started, it would grow out fish – raise them to maturity. The fish, death and poachers ate into profits. “You’ve got a lot invested in feeding them and the labor that goes with it,” he said. “And then they die or are poached or are taken by birds.”
These days, J&J grows its fish for about a year and then markets them. When asked if the business will remain in the family, Young laughed.
“Hopefully, one of our kids takes it over,” he said.
