Submitted story

The Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club has had a busy year.

Invasives clearing, cider making, daphnia toxicity studies, and a trip along the riparian zone at the Stoll farm are just a few of the activities which have engaged the more than 30 members.

A trip to Freshwater Farms near Urbana was the latest adventure.

Freshwater Farms was established 40 years ago by Dr. Dave Smith and his family. They are producers of fish for the retail trade, but it goes much deeper than that. By combining conservation and regenerative agricultural practices with energy saving practices, the operation focuses on sustainability and habitat improvement and preservation.

The students in the ESC learned how the trout are raised from eggs to fish that can reach up to six pounds. Four times a year, 25,000 trout eggs are hatched. The hungry fish in the outdoor tanks eagerly consumed the feed offered by the students. In addition, there were turtles to hold (except for the large snapping turtle) and sturgeon to pet. The trip concluded with a sampling of Freshwater Farms smoked trout and trout and trout spread.

Freshwater Farms is located at 2624 S. U.S. Route 68 north of Urbana. They welcome visitors Monday through Saturday.

The Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club, in its seventh year of operation, is co-sponsored by Benjamin Logan Local School and the Logan County Land Trust. It is co-directed by Ryan Kerns, Spencer Reames, Bruce Smith, and Bob Stoll.

For more information, contact Bruce Smith at: [email protected].

Story submitted by:

Linda Vernon

Director

The Logan County Land Trust