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 Farming fish in the flatlands near Sacramento looked like a sweet deal, Michael Passmore figured. So in 2005, Passmore, a former Marine who was attending law school, hired a bulldozer, dug a pond, filled it up with water and bought some fingerlings. He could lean on a neighbor down the road, Ken Beer, one of the pioneers of aquaculture in California, for advice. Kick back on the porch, smoke a cigar, drink a beer or two, feed the fish, watch them grow and harvest the pond once a year. Not a bad lifestyle. But that didn't last long.
"Maybe I had too many beers, but I figured if one pond worked, why not more?" Passmore recalled. So he hired his brother-in-law, Dave, who was given the title "Chief-of-Get-It-Done" and they started digging more ponds. He convinced his wife, Vandy, a.k.a. "Boss Lady," to pitch in as well. Passmore decided to grow several species including white sturgeon and channel catfish. To sell the fish, Passmore headed to the Sunday Sacramento Farmer's Market, which is held under a freeway. His fish, swimming in big tubs, were an instant hit. He could have sold a lot more intially, but local regulations prevented him from filleting, and not that many people can handle a whole fish when they get it home. However, sales continue to increase as he educates folks on the 'how to" of getting it done!
What Passmore discovered, though, was that the Farmer's Market was a great place to meet chefs who came to the market looking for local, sustainably produced food. "We pretty much fell into that whole source locally movement, " Passmore said. Randall Selland (owner of The Kitchen, Ella Dining Room and Bar, and Selland's Café) discovered them there at the market and had to have the fresh fish in his restaurants. From there it has been an ever growing succession of chefs calling for fresh fish (and chefs know how to handle whole fish). Inadvertent or not, Passmore quickly developed a devoted following among local Sacramento chefs like the renowned Kelly McCown at Ella's, who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants on both coasts.
Six years into his career as a fish rancher, Passmore is harvesting nearly 100,000 pounds of fish a year now, with plans to boost that production to over 300,000 pounds within the next phases of development. He's expanded his deliveries of live fish to chefs in both San Francisco and Napa Valley. He's proud of both the sustainability of his operation and his partnership with FishWise. Michael was also spoke recently at the annual EcoFarm conference, which is held each January near San Francisco. Passmore Ranch has the following products listed on FishChoice.com, and remember to tell them that you found them via FishChoice when you contact them:
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