Founded in 1983, Freshwater Farms of Ohio is family owned and operated by three generations of the Smith family and their experienced staff. Dr. Dave Smith and his father, Dick Smith, an electrical engineer, started the facility at Freshwater Farms and the ongoing process of innovation and hands-on development. Ben Smith, Dr. Dave’s son, brings a lifetime of experience as farm manager and designer for WaterSmith fountains.
Dr. Dave has more than a little experience with fish. He has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from The University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW Aquaculture Research Lab (fish feed and recirculating aquaculture systems). He also has a M.S. in Marine Sciences from Lousiana State University, Center for Wetland Resources and a B.S. in Biology from The Ohio State University. He studied marine science at Louisiana State University where he worked with saltwater shrimp in the bayous.
Dr. Dave was also the first president of the Ohio Aquaculture Association, whose original mission was to promote the exchange of ideas and aquaculture technology and help develop interest in aquaculture in Ohio. As a result, one of our goals at Freshwater Farms of Ohio is to educate the public and counteract the negative portrayal of fish farming in the media.
Did you Know?
- The first product ever sold at the farm was watermelons! Dr. Dave’s children ran a roadside produce stand during the first summer that they lived at the farm.
- When the Smith’s purchased the property, it was a bankrupt chicken farm. The fish are raised in the same barns that once housed chickens.