Paradise still a haven for White family's trout farm

By Tyler Larson

December 3, 2007 | PARADISE -- Trout farming isn't a common crop to find at a farm in Paradise, but Grant White, the owner of Trout of Paradise has been keeping it up for over 30 years.

"When I left active duty in the military, my uncle offered me to come work for him," White said.

Trout of Paradise has been on the White Ranch since 1928

"We were, at one time, the third largest trout farm in the nation until a virus from the Little Bear River was introduced and wiped out a large portion of the trout population," White said.

After the virus they were unable to fully recover, but did as much as they could to keep the farm running, he said.

The trout are sold at the Sportsman's Paradise, a hunting and fishing preserve in Paradise, and are also released into the streams around the preserve.

Every year new eggs are transported to the farm from a supplier in Salt Lake City, White said. They are transported in ice cooled water until they reach the farm where it can take eight hours of work a day feeding and caring for them to ensure the new hatchlings are healthy, he said. Feeding takes place every day using a high protein pellet.

After the trout grow to a certain size they are then put into large circulating pools until the trout reach about one pound in weight. Each year they support about 18,000 trout, White said.

Trout of Paradise is located at 399 W. 9000 South in Paradise.

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