Jamie Johansen sits down with Margaret Cleveland of Ozark Fisheries for a deep dive into one of the most surprising corners of rural agriculture: ornamental fish farming. Margaret is a fourth-generation fish farmer who grew up on her family’s spring-fed operation, and she shares how a single idea in 1926 grew into a nationally recognized fish farm that raises goldfish and koi for customers across North America. 🐠

She talks about the early days of the farm, the science behind raising healthy fish, and the hands-on work that goes into spawning, feeding, protecting, and shipping thousands of fish. Jamie and Margaret also explore the predators that keep everyone on their toes, the big shift toward direct-to-consumer sales, how shipping live animals actually works, and the surprising impact aquaculture has on Missouri agriculture. There are fun stories too, including tours for thousands of FFA students, wild questions from kids, Margaret’s time living abroad, and what the next hundred years could look like.

It is a fascinating look at a hidden rural industry and the grit it takes to keep a family farm running for a century.