A Journey to Start a Small Farm

In the middle parts of beautiful Sweden we have been given the opportunity to start a small farm.

It is planned to be a small agricultural business with the main objective to raise and breed the Swedish Crayfish (Astacus Astacus) - which is an endangered specie.

Furthermore we make use of other plots to grow unique plants and vegetables in greenhouse and fields or plantation.

For that to happen we have, as of the summer of 2021, started with the construction of three different farm ponds. The final goal is to have up to ten of them - covering a surface area of about 1 acre (4 000 squaremeters) with an annual production of up to 10,000 crayfish or more.

Here we present how it all started, how far we've come and what the next steps are.

1. Crayfish Breeding Pond

The first in our pond farm which is planned to become a breeding pond.

The first batch of crayfish is bought from other breeders and placed within the pond will here breed. During the winter the female crayfish will hold the eggs and come spring/early summer the females are separated and placed into the brooding pond until the eggs are released as spawn (stage IV-spawn).

Shape: Semi-circular
Size: Approx 2,000 squarefeet (200 squaremeters) surface area
Construction: Clay with with raised mounds/walls and partly bedrock bottom.
Aeration: 60 liter/min oxygen-pump (50 watt), solar panel and battery powered (accumulated energy)
Vegetation: Nitella-algae (removes nitrate and adds extra oxygen).

Extras: Approximately 300 clay bricks (with holes) as protection/settlement during growth and/or shell change of the crayfish.

2. Crayfish Brooding Pond (Rubber Lining Pond)

The second, and also the smallest, of our ponds is the brooding pond.

Here the stage IV-spawns of crayfish will have an isolated pond with protection and controlled feeding until they have grown enough to be placed into a larger pond.

Shape: Trench
Size: 5 ft (1.5 meters) x 13 yards (12 meters)
Depth: 3 feet (0.9 meters)
Construction: Rubber (EPDM) lined bottom and walls
Aeration: 20 liter/min oxygen-pump (18 watt), solar panel and battery powered (accumulated energy)
Vegetation: Nitella-algae (removes nitrate and adds extra oxygen).

Extras: Part of the pond is shadowed by solar panels and the other part is shadowed by a solar tent solution (removable) as sun protection during high summer. All of the pond is designed with different clay bricks, gravel, sand and stones for the spawn to hide.

3. Crayfish Farming Pond (Semi-Intensive)

The third of our mid-sized ponds is planned to be a semi-intensive (one generation) farm pond of crayfish.

This means that once the spawn have grown from stage IV to young crayfish (after one summer), they will be placed in this pond. Here they are kept alone until they have grown enough for replacement in natural habitats or consumption (the plan is to mainly sell to restaurants and events).

Extras: Approximately 300 clay bricks (with holes) as protection/settlement during growth and/or shell change of the crayfish.