116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
My Biz: Amana koi farm one of the largest in the nation
Nestled in the rolling hills of rural Amana is the Kloubec family farm. But it's a farm unlike most in Iowa.
What once housed 80 acres of corn and soybeans, now features approximately 72 ponds layered into the hillsides, home to millions of flourishing fish.
Since 1981, the Kloubec's have been breeding fish on their family's farm. It began with Myron Kloubec's father, a man with a passion for fishing who wanted his own supply of game fish. Though the Kloubec's still produce game species, their main product is koi - a decorative fish originating from Japan.
More than 30 years later, Kloubec Koi has grown to be one of the three largest koi farms in the nation and the only commercial-sized koi farm in the state.
They sell hundreds of different koi varieties wholesale to approximately 750 nurseries and garden centers throughout the country and even across the border to Canada. The fish are also sold retail from $15 to thousands of dollars per fish. The price is determined by color, pattern and most importantly, bloodline.
'We've spent a lot of money on Japanese bloodlines that give us better looking, heartier fish,” said Myron Kloubec. 'It takes an investment in good genes to make it work.”
Another key contributor to the koi's brilliant color and heartiness: Iowa's nutrient-rich soil and variable climate.
'Properties in the clay help bring out the colors, and our hard winters make them hearty so they can survive wherever we send them,” said Ellen Kloubec.
Over the years, the Kloubecs have made many sacrifices for their business, especially their time, particularly during spawning season when they're working around the clock, sometimes a full 24 hours.
'Those animals are always demanding your attention,” said Myron Kloubec. 'It's a lot of personal sacrifice and a lot of physical work … it's a dedication of your life.”
Ellen Kloubec added that the larger the business grows, the more demanding it becomes. And growing is exactly what they're doing.
This year was their best production year yet, and now the farm is planning to expand across an even larger ‘pond' - to Europe.
' Know a manager or company in business for more than a year that would be ideal for 'My Biz”? Contact Chelsea Keenan at Chelsea.keenan@sourcemedia.net
At a glance
'Company
: Kloubec Koi
'Names
: Ellen, Myron and Nick Kloubec (Co-owners); Holly Kloubec (Director of Marketing)
'Address
: 1375 Baxter Avenue NW, Amana
'Phone
: (319) 846-2077
'Website
: www.kloubeckoi.com
Liz Zabel/The Gazette Geese gather on one of the more than 70 ponds on the Kloubec's 80-acre family farm. The ponds are layered into the hillside, which is beneficial for the collection of rainwater that is oxygen-rich and good for the health of the fish. Myron Kloubec, co-owner of Kloubec Koi, said that unfortunately they lose thousands of fish to predators like bullfrogs and birds.
Liz Zabel/The Gazette 'Yellow Sub,' an affectionately named koi, swims up to Holly Kloubec's outstretched hand at Kloubec Koi farm in Amana, offering what the Kloubecs refer to as 'koi kisses.' Due to her abnormally friendly nature, Yellow Sub has become Kloubec Koi's mascot. She is also one of their breeder fish.
Liz Zabel/The Gazette Myron and Ellen Kloubec, co-owners of Kloubec Koi, use their hands to separate fry, or baby koi, by their pattern and color at Kloubec Koi farm in Amana. This hands-on culling process is done to weed out the better quality fish from the others.
Liz Zabel/The Gazette Sandra Dupler (right), of Cedar Rapids, and Christy Maresh (center), of Blairstown separate Koi by pattern and color at Kloubec Koi farm in Amana. A small net-like tool is used to pick up the fish and transfer them to the pool below, where the chosen fish are being collected.
Liz Zabel/The Gazette Myron (right) and Ellen (center) Kloubec, owners of Kloubec Koi, and Ellen's mother, Sandra Dupler (left) separate koi by pattern and color at their farm in Amana. The culling process separates the koi to be sold at different price points, based on their pattern, color and bloodline.
Liz Zabel/The Gazette A swarm of koi spins in circles, eating food tossed to them by Myron Kloubec on the Kloubec's 80-acre family farm in Amana. The farm hosts more than 70 ponds just like this one, which are used to raise koi and game fish for wholesale and retail sale.
Liz Zabel/The Gazette Ellen Kloubec, co-owner of Kloubec Koi, drops an aerating tube into a treatment pool on their farm in Amana. The koi are treated for parasites before being sold so that they are better prepared for survival outside of the farm.
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