At the Aquaculture Show 2022, Kristin Elliott, CEO of Aquasend, interviewed Katie Harris, President of Mt. Lassen Trout Farm and the U.S. Trout Farmers Association (USTFA) to gain a better understanding of her role as USTFA president and learn more about Mr. Lassen Trout Farm and how their aquaculture farm is structured.

What does Mt. Lassen Trout Farms Do?

Mt. Lassen Trout Farms operates several farms at the base of Mt. Lassen in northern California. An interesting fact about the company is that all their farms are spring fed meaning that they do not implement recirculation or well systems, but instead utilize the natural resources of springs directly from the earth to the farm.

What Markets Does Mt. Lassen Serve?

Mt. Lassen Trout Farm serves two main markets. Their primary market, accounting for about three-quarters of their business, is recreational fishing. This means that Mt. Lassen Trout Farms supplies trout for recreational fishing areas around Northern California. Mt. Lassen’s secondary market, about one-quarter of their sales, is in the seafood industry.

Katie’s Beginnings in Aquaculture

Katie Harris grew up on Mt. Lassen Trout Farm. She was raised around fishponds and spent her free time fishing with her father. She rode along routes with the farm’s employees and learned first-hand how a trout farm operates. To this day, some of the same employees that Katie remembers tagging along with as a child still work with Mt. Lassen Trout Farms. As an adult, Katie never thought she would grow up to be president of both Mt. Lassen Trout Farm, and USTAF.

Katie Harris Serves as President of the U.S. Trout Farmers Association

With her lifelong experience in the trout farming industry, Katie is the perfect president of USTAF. Katie was elected president at the USTAF 2019 Fall Conference and has excelled in her role ever since. Her extensive experience and hands-on knowledge of the trout farming industry give her the insight she needs to further improve the industry with both farmers and customer’s best interests in mind. As members of USTAF ourselves, Aquasend is proud to have someone as knowledgeable as Katie as president. When asked about her hopes for the future of the industry, Katie Harris gives a hopeful statement looking forward.

“The way I look at it is that my job is to make sure that we all have jobs, today, tomorrow, five years from now and ten years from now.” –– Katie Harris

Aquasend thanks Katie Harris for taking the time to talk to us at Aquaculture Show 2022 and sharing her story with us.