Valley farmer serves up fresh idea

Valley farmer serves up fresh idea

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

Columbiana County’s long history of farming now includes raising freshwater prawns.

You can get them today and Sunday at Angiuli’s Fresh Food Market, 9610 Columbiana-Canfield Road, Canfield, starting at 1 p.m.

Leetonia now holds the title of prawn and tilapia capital of the county. Tilapia is a white fish from the Amazon.

Shane Conti and his father, Allen, of Canfield, have been working together on the Highpoint Farm, 4372 Leetonia Road.

The younger Conti is pursuing three projects.

He’s planted 40 acres of alfalfa, has sold 1,000 hydroponic tomatoes from his own large greenhouse and has been raising prawns.

Shane said he grew up in Mahoning County, got into computers and worked in Las Vegas for 10 years. During that time, the city doubled from 1 million to 2 million people.

Then he moved back.

One of the great things about his home in the country, he said, is, “I don’t have a million neighbors.”

“I’m trying to do something to make better food,” he said. That means local food fresh-grown without pesticides or herbicides and using spring water.

Those looking to buy filets or whole fish should bring their own cooler or ice.

Growing locally, Shane said, will also “make healthy food more affordable.”

The prawns were not as large as expected because of the cool July weather, Shane said. The weather also affected the fish.

There are about 25 to 30 freshwater prawn operations in the state, Shane estimated.

“They sell out in a day or two,” he added.

Julie Herron, the county’s Cooperative Extension Service agent, didn’t know about Highpoint but said, “Freshwater farming is becoming very popular.”

She said she would like to see Highpoint’s operation.

Allen came up with the idea of a cage that will catch the prawns when a valve is turned and the man-made growing pond empties out. The prawns also will go right onto ice.

Shane is winding down his tomato hothouse for the year. If it were operating, he would use lady bugs to eat the pests that damage the tomatoes instead of using pesticides, he said.

The younger Conti is also working to heat his house, along with the hothouse, with wood from his property. He said he has 20 acres of woods. He said if he can cut one acre of trees a year for heat, the trees will grow again and provide a renewable energy source.

wilkinson@vindy.com