Traci Stirling Bell isn’t kidding when she says her hobby is telling fish stories. But what makes her tales unique is that they aren’t just incredible, they’re true. In 2012, Bell and her husband, Craig, started Ripple Rock Fish Farms in Frazeysburg, Ohio. From humble beginnings in the family’s garage, the company has grown into a thriving enterprise that produces 40,000 pounds of tilapia annually, with potential for another 10,000 pounds per year.
Ripple Rock was a significant undertaking for two people with no background in agriculture. The Bells both graduated from BYU in 1990, Traci with a MAcc and Craig with a BS in physical plant administration. Craig managed facilities at colleges in New Mexico and Indiana before the family settled in Ohio, where Craig had a regional position overseeing several campuses. Bell was at home with their four children, including a daughter with Rett syndrome, a genetic disorder that made caring for her much like caring for a newborn.
Life went from busy to overwhelming when Craig’s company expanded his region and he was always on the road. The Bells knew Craig’s job was no longer right for their family, but they hesitated to relocate because their daughter was well established with doctors at the nearby Columbus Children’s Hospital.
One Sunday evening after Craig left for his work week, Bell decided that before he got back, she was going to find another way for them to earn a living. She spent every spare minute researching up-and-coming businesses and stumbled on aquaculture, predicted to be a major economic opportunity for the new millennium. When Craig walked in the door on Friday, Bell greeted him with, “I’ve got an idea. You build it, and I’ll manage the numbers.”
In the following months, the couple attended aquaculture courses and talked to everyone who knew anything about fish. They built a simple recirculating system out of two 55-gallon drums and raised 12 goldfish. By the next year, the family had constructed a 3,000-gallon system in an existing farm building and raised 1,200 tilapia.
That was just the beginning. With help from professors at Cornell University and Ohio State University, Bell spent almost two years preparing a small-business-innovation grant proposal for the US Department of Agriculture, seeking funds to expand their operation. During that process, in February 2013, Craig quit his job. “We didn’t know how we were going to proceed,” remembers Bell, “but we knew he needed to resign. The next Friday, we got a call from Washington, DC, telling us we got the grant.”
Since then, Ripple Rock has been the family’s focus. They built a 6,000-square-foot building that holds a 50,000-gallon indoor recirculating aquaculture system and its supporting facilities. “Our kids have learned to work hard and have been exposed to so much about running a business,” says Bell. “And as people have watched our family work at this together, we’ve had opportunities to share more about who we are and what we believe.”
As part of their grant, the Bells committed to share what they’ve learned about aquaculture; they’ve written a series of five instructional manuals, started a YouTube channel with how-to videos, and presented at the World Aquaculture Conference. “Some people can’t understand why we share our knowledge and experience,” says Bell, “but the demand in aquaculture is plentiful. Working with others will help us improve processes and reduce costs.”
Ripple Rock Fish Farms may seem a long way from BYU, but Bell says lessons she and Craig learned in college have been crucial. “Working hard to get an education builds your confidence,” she says. “Because we knew what it took to achieve a goal, we felt like there wasn’t much we couldn’t do when we put our minds to it. That drive and determination is what’s helped us be successful.”
