Lynn and Lori Blackwood, Blackwood Farm
The Blackwood Farm is 225 acres of timber, pasture, and aqua-farming ponds located in rural Southside Virginia, founded in 1996. The Blackwoods have been raising channel catfish year-round in pond and cage culture systems since 2000. They also raise rainbow trout from mid-fall until the April harvest each year. The catfish are sold live as pond stockers ranging in size from ¼ pound to large brood stock. They also harvest the catfish at 1½ to 2 lbs. to be filleted and sold fresh or frozen through the Virginia Natural Fish Company brand. T he rainbow trout are all dressed in a commercial kitchen, vacuum-sealed and sold fresh or frozen. All fish are constantly aerated and raised in spring-fed ponds with no use of chemicals at any point in the production process. Only the highest quality protein feeds are given to the fish, producing the “all natural” products of which Dr. Blackwood and his wife Lori are exceptionally proud. The plans to install a catfish hatchery on the farm are currently underway.
Dr. Blackwood is a clinical child psychologist in Farmville, VA and Lori is an associate museum director, also in Farmville. They are the proud parents of five wonderful children and one grandchild. Dr. Blackwood is also President of the Virginia Aquaculture Association, Chairman of the Virginia Aquafarmers Network, a member of the Governor’s Aquaculture Advisory Board and the Farm Bureau’s State Aquaculture Advisory Committee. He also sits as one of two Virginia Industry members on the Southern Regional Aquaculture Council.
Eddie and Leilani Cochran, Strawberry Creek Shrimp Farm
Strawberry Creek Shrimp Farm, located in Chatham, Virginia, was established in 2006 by Eddie and Leilani Cochran. The farm is Virginia’s first freshwater prawn nursery, which provides juvenile prawn to farmers looking to diversify their farms. By providing a local source of juveniles, Virginia prawn farmers get animals that are acclimated to Virginia ponds and have fewer losses from being transported long distances.
Eddie and Leilani Cochran have struggled with numerous setbacks, including a fire in 2010 that destroyed part of their operation. “But we are back up and looking forward to 2011,” says Eddie, whose goal is to help local farmers be successful in raising freshwater prawn.
