Something Fishy Going On...

Chinese agriculture is a boring subject for most Americans.  There are good reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that Chinese agriculture has next to no significant impact on the daily decisions we have to make as productive western citizens.

However, there are some bellweather issues which make Chinese agriculture very much worth noticing, not the least of which is its relationship with water shortages globally.  Of the most significant negative and positive trends in global environmental news, central asian glaciers are disappearing rapidly.  There are dramatic water shortages on the way for most of the world, and the food supply is going to diminish rapidly.

On the plus side?  Chinese aquaculture now outpaces poultry farming.  Why is this good news?  Because, if done right, the grand irony is that fish farming requires fewer resources than traditional animal husbandry.  This is particularly true when comparing fish to beef, but the bottom line is, you need water to plant crops, and that water is even better for crops if fish have been raised in it first.

We had put an 18 month timetable on our backyard catfish pond plans, making a Fall 2011 debut for our first batch of fingerlings.  That is now changed.  We are going to push like crazy monkeys are chasing us this summer to dredge the pond and get our first fish in by this fall.

This won't be an easy task, as we are not going to follow any of the exemplary plans we have found for this project, but instead are going to rely on the natural propensity of the heavy-clay soil on that side of the yard, and we intend to dig pretty deep, as well, as much as 8 to 10 feet.  Ideally, we'd like to hit bedrock, which in College Station is not always all that difficult, only about 12 feet deep in most of the city, but keep in mind as well that we are doing all of our digging with a hand shovel.

So, if we look grimy or gritty when you run into us out in the "real world" beyond Myrtle's little patch of heaven, you'll know why.  There's something fishy going on at Myrtle's.

Happy farming!