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Former Fish Farmer Has His Ducks in a Row Now

Published March 26, 2019

For most entrepreneurs, starting a business is the culmination of a dream. But for others, like Roy Landskron, owner of Happy Quackers Farm in Shiocton, it just happened.

"Something clicked," Landskron said. "I saw an opportunity and went after it."

That opportunity, about 20 years ago, was his first venture — the creation of a fish farm. As he continued to work in his 30-year career in wastewater treatment (he is now retired), he found a way to combine his interest in all things water with a desire to put to use a pond on his farm.

By running the fish farm, Landskron got a crash course in business. He learned about products! on, marketing and costs.  As the cost of feed increased, it was hard to sell the fish at a price per pound that produced a profit.

"Selling fish was a new thing to me. I worked four, 10-hour days at the wastewater plant and had three days available to do other things. That venture fit in well, but I couldn’t find a market for the fish," he said.

From there, the self-described serial entrepreneur dabbled in other things. He produced koi for pond stocking, and with two partners, developed an organic fish fertilizer.

About five years ago, he found his true passion: a farm specializing in the production of duck meat and eggs.  His approach to the new business was to reverse the earlier process of starting a business and then looking for a market.

"I learned that I needed to find the market first," he said. "No matter what I’m producing, I’m not producing it for me. I needed to find out who wanted it and what they would pay for it."

A combination of previous business experience and participation in the E-seed Program at Fox Valley Tech in Appleton helped him develop a solid business model. He learned that the most effective education comes from listening and seeking advice. Most recently, he graduated from the Green Bay Packers Mentor/Protégé Program, where he was coached by Jim Robinson of Metals Engineering, Inc.

Through the Mentor/Protégé Program, he was also connected with James Harris, an assistant professor at St. Norbert College in De Pere, who had marketing students create a marketing plan.

The challenge now is in finding enough time to implement everything. His wife, Holly, a registered nurse, helps collect eggs and does the bookkeeping and computer-related tasks. Landskron is a jack-of all- trades as he travels 350 miles to buy organic feed, works on getting the farm certified as organic, plans a new barn and production facility, develops a manure compost, and plans to expand into areas such as organic hay bales.

Every day, he and Holly collect about 150 duck eggs from the 300 ducks that lay eggs, and ready them for processing and packaging by Milo Poultry Farms in Bonduel, an organic farm. A dozen duck eggs retail at about $9, and sell out. It is an indication of the growing market for organic products.

"Milo cleans and cartons the eggs, and we are tied into his distribution system," Landskron said. "He goes to Chicago and other markets and has been a great help. I am still trying to find out how big my market is, and what the upper end is. I would love to market to food allergy people because it’s rewarding to be able to help them."

The move into being certified organic should help him expand the market; a market that is currently defined as being higher income, health conscious, urban individuals between the ages of 25 and 55. This is a group that seeks locally sourced, healthy foods.

The Landskrona love to sit on their porch, look out at the pond and watch the ducks.

"If you spend time with these ducks, it isn’t long before you see them wiggling as they walk and can’t help laughing," he said.

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

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Green Bay Press Gazette

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