BETHEL, Ohio — At Big Fish Farms in Bethel, they make fine caviar —not something you would think is possible in rural southern Ohio. 

  • The business has been fine-tuning their product for 15 years now, and believe they’re producing a high-quality product
  • The paddlefish, which are on the vulnerable watch list for endangered species, are safely spawned and grown for 10 years before being harvested for caviar
  •  The fish can grow to be as heavy as 85 pounds, and the average paddlefish produces around 5 lbs. of caviar

“It is a rare and wonderful delicacy,” Renee Koerner said.  

Renee Koerner and her husband Keith are paddlefish farmers. They’ve been at it now for close to 15 years. And this is no small task.

“In some ways it’s been harder work than I thought it would be,” said Renee Koerner. “And 10 years is 10 years. I mean, it’s a long time.”

Not to mention they harvest the fish in the winter, so dealing with the elements can be a challenge.

“Having to do it in low 30s weather makes it even worse,” Keith Koerner said. “It’s like spanking you when you’ve done something bad. But it’s what we’ve chose to do.”

Paddlefish are actually on the vulnerable watch list because of people illegally poaching them for their eggs.  But Big Fish Farms ranches their paddlefish sustainably.

They spawn their own fish, and then grow them for 10 years at two lakes in Ohio and Kentucky. Then when it’s time to harvest the eggs, they’re killed as quickly and humanely as possible. 

“These things are 600 million years old,” Keith Koerner said. “They’re one of the most ancient fish to swim the waters.” 

Each paddlefish produces close to five pounds of caviar. And once the eggs are harvested, the berries are screened — which is a delicate hands-on process. 

“It’s a messy job,” Renee Koerner said. “But I imagine making cheese is a messy job too, you know.” 

The eggs are cleaned several times with cold water, drained, and then salted.

Renee says the business is on track to being very successful. She’s hopeful the fine caviar they produce can inspire others to join the paddlefish farming industry — perhaps making it something Ohio can be known for.

“I honestly think that we’re making some of the finest cultured caviar here. The way that we’re raising the fish by reservoir ranching, I think, yeah, we could be known for it in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana for some of the best cultured caviar maybe in the world.”