About ASK Farms
My love of koi all started when my youngest daughter took a summer job in a London, Ontario water garden store. Each day, she shared stories of her time in the store. There, she cleaned the ponds, tended and fed the koi, and marveled at their beauty. She was excited about it. After visiting her a few times at the store, I began to share her admiration for these stunning fish. Some of the more distinctive specimens were selling for $20 to $100 or more. I started to understand why: each koi was uniquely different, each with their own personalities.
Becoming a Koi Keeper
Without even realizing it, I was drawn to the idea of becoming a koi keeper. I began to sketch out a plan for a pond for our yard. It was 12 feet by 8 feet, had bottom drains, a skimmer, waterfall, bio and mechanical filters, and even a natural flow-through bog. I had left out no details. Except—at that point—I still had no koi. Of course, that soon changed. I attended workshops on aquaculture wherever I could. I even took an online college course in aquaculture and aquaponics, but that was later in the addiction.
Professional Pride
My daughter’s part-time job had led to a hobby, first with 8 beautiful koi, and soon became an addiction with over 300 koi. In the beginning, I used traditional filter systems with rotating water changes. To reduce water changes we started using natural water bogs, eventually incorporating aquaponics into the system. This created a closed living eco- system. Growing vegetables for my own table was truly a heart felt innovation. This allowed my family to move away from GMO foods and live a healthier conscience lifestyle.
ASK Farms started to offer healthy, high-quality Japanese koi, while growing natural vegetables for farmer markets and niche restaurants in the area. Now, as a professional koi keeper, I take great pride in the environment I have created for these lovely koi. High-quality water and aged bio media filters and grow beds ensure that the range of koi we offer is supreme.
If you have questions about ASK Farms, contact us today!