Okay, and humble thanks for the encouragement. I don't crave more than to do this for my satisfaction and hopefully to learn, be challenged and have some fun while making a living. I write that down and it seems quite a bit to ask. It's a worthwhile goal. The art of koi is so intriguing and multidimensional. You pour yourself into this entirely and just scratch the surface. Koi are a three dimensional living canvas moving in time and themselves in a three dimensional world. All things with koi are ever changing. They are a dynamic canvas which requires so many disciplines to master, manage and care for. They are a work of art that is never finished, never perfect. It's the promise of what might be that keeps it new.
Kevan- On the brood stock I'll see what I can come up with in terms of breeding pair photos tomorrow and try to fill in some details. It's a little murky and my brood stock are young. I'm not settled by any means on a few pairs of fish. I'm still very much picking through each year's fish and keeping the best while retiring older fish which I am no longer satisfied with. I'll give you more details in another post.
Papa Bear, Mike M- On the water, I pull my water from several wells that tap into a very shallow aquifer running under the San Joaquin River. Our farm is perched on the banks of the river on some of the richest alluvial soil in the entire San Joaquin Valley. Good water, good drainage, fertile soil and favorable weather for raising koi have made Fresno a good location for my operation. But, you have hit it on the head when you say water quality management. That is my foremost concern. A healthy fish is the first prerequisite for a quality fish.
Marie- I got to meet you one of these days. I love your enthusiasm and artistic heart, but koi shows and meeting other Breeders is going to have to wait for another time.
Koiczar- I really appreciate your critique and that of the others. I took some photos of a handful of fish (mostly kohaku this week) that I culled today. In looking at the fish you will see that we don't mimic the Japanese in how we manage our farm. These fish are more mature than what the Japanese work with on their first culls. I have adapted my techniques for my unique conditions. I don't know if you have ever had the chance to look at a breeders bowl during culling. What you see can tell you a lot about me, my farm and how I raise the fish. This is a photo I would love to see from some quality farms in Japan if anyone has one.
09-27-2006
What a Crew 
(In a few years you'll need a security fence around your cute little Princess
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