In Fort Klamath, Oregon, Darryl Goodson has applied decades of high-level engineering experience to an unexpected field: sturgeon farming
After a career building nuclear power plants and infrastructure for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Goodson now operates the Oregon Royal Sturgeon Company, the state's only permitted sturgeon production facility in the state.
Goodson, a civil engineer with degrees from Fresno State and Stanford, spent years moving between large-scale industrial projects.
"You just go where the next interesting project might be," Goodson said.
In 2012, he settled on 180 acres near Crater Lake National Park. The property included a dormant $5 million salmon hatchery that had been unused since 1991. Goodson initially considered converting the site into an organic chicken farm but ultimately chose to revive the hatchery.
In 2012, that path led him to settle on 180 acres near Crater Lake National Park. The property happened to house a dormant, $5 million salmon hatchery that had sat unused since 1991. While he initially considered converting the facility into an organic chicken farm, he eventually decided to leverage his engineering background to revive the aquatic infrastructure for something far more ancient.
His entry into sturgeon farming came through an unusual trade. While raising Wagyu cattle, Goodson acquired his first fish stock from a neighboring producer.
"I bartered half of one of my Wagyu cows for my first set of sturgeon," he said.
The trade netted him 3,000 sturgeon fry.
Today, his cattle and fish operations are symbiotic — fish waste fertilizes pastureland.
Goodson expanded the hatchery by adapting compact designs to support up to 25,000 pounds of fish. To improve quality, he uses a "cold water finish," circulating 43-degree well water to replicate natural snow melt conditions.
Goodson scaled the operation by copying and "factoring up" compact hatchery designs to support 25,000 pounds of fish. To ensure world-class quality, he utilizes a "cold water finish" using 43-degree well water to mimic natural snow runoff. He said the process firms the meat and eliminates aftertastes.
While the operation has largely focused on sturgeon meat, Goodson recently began harvesting caviar. His first batches are now appearing in Portland restaurants.
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- Darryl Goodson, owner, Oregon Royal Sturgeon Company
