Shrimp Farmer Karlanea Brown: Catching New Opportunities

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Global seafood demand is rising. So are tariffs on imports. Karlanea Brown sees opportunity for others to join the business that had never been her life’s plan.

“Most of it comes from China,” Brown told American Farmland Owner from her office in Fowler, Indiana.

“It” is not corn, soybeans, hogs, or eggs. Although, plenty of her neighbors produce those. “It” is also not pumpkins, watermelon, or peppermint. Many neighbors grow those, too.

“It” is shrimp, not something most people expect to find on a farm in rural Indiana. But shrimp has become Brown’s unexpected seven-day-per-week vocation.

Karlanea Brown bio:

• RDM Aquaculture – Co-Owner

• Tour Guide

• Aquaculture Consultant

RDM Shrimp doesn’t use pumps, filters, hormones, or antibiotics in the indoor water tanks where it raises thousands of shrimp by carefully monitoring the bacteria in its water tanks. When the business began in 2010, RDM Shrimp became the third indoor shrimp farm in the United States and sells live shrimp direct to consumers on site, while also offering group tours.

Higher Tariffs on Shrimp

Brown believes that higher tariffs on shrimp coming into the country, especially from China, may lift her industry. It might even convince others to try her unconventional approach in aquaculture.

Brown explained the core issue: “When that shrimp comes into the U.S. from these foreign countries, they’re only paying $6 to $7 a pound. Somebody that harvests it on a boat, they can’t compete with that…because it's costing them at least $10 a pound,” she said.

This price disparity has had a profound impact on traditional shrimpers. “The shrimp boaters…it affected them,” Brown noted, emphasizing how imported shrimp has undercut the viability of harvesting wild shrimp in U.S. waters.

Trade Wars and Changing Economics

The ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and countries like China may have opened a door for American producers. “Oh, we’re loving it!” Brown said, “I mean, it never affected us personally. But it affected the shrimp boaters.”

For land-based shrimp farms like Brown’s, the current trade climate has created an environment where selling at sustainable prices is finally possible. “We started asking for 15 dollars. And right now, we’re still pretty fair. We’re at 22 dollars a pound. You get roughly 18 to 24 shrimp to a pound. So, they’re pretty good-sized shrimp.”

Despite initial skepticism in the market, Brown’s persistence has paid off. “When we first started, it cost me about 12 dollars a pound to raise the shrimp. And we were told we would never get more than seven dollars a pound. I said, ‘well, then why would I sell it?’ That is the stupidest business plan I’ve ever heard in my life,” she said.

RELATED: This Kentucky farmer convinced his family that shrimp should be part of their future. 

The Realities of Shrimp Farming

However, shrimp farming takes a lot of learning, patience, and perseverance. “We would love to see more people do what we’re doing,” Brown said, “But the problem is, a lot of people don’t want to put the work into it. They think it’s instant gratification.”

Shrimp farming is labor-intensive and requires careful management, particularly of water quality. “A lot of people think you just throw the shrimp in, and they’re gonna magically grow,” she explained.

Brown continued, “So, they don’t take care of the water. And when you put in 3,000 shrimp and you only pull out maybe 400, that’s not a very good economic value.”

Brown emphasized that like any form of agriculture, shrimp farming is a business that demands commitment. “You don’t get to sit behind the desk and watch a camera, say, ‘Oh, I think the water looks okay.’ It doesn’t work that way,” she explained.

A Shorter Path to ROI for Shrimp Farrmers

Despite the hard work, shrimp farming has one significant advantage over many traditional crops: a much faster return on investment. Compared to fruit growers, who often wait several years before seeing profits, shrimp producers can see returns within a couple of years.

“Shrimp, if you do it correctly, two years,” Brown said. “You can actually get your return on investment at the end of two years. Depending on what system you go with, you’re looking at about $100,000 to get you started with an in-tank system. And if you get your return on investment in two years, I think that’s really good.”