Superior Fresh LLC

Building a Better Food System Starts with

Great Food

Steven Summerfelt

Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference, Feb 15, 2019

Superior Fresh LLC

DISRUPTCHALLENGESTATUS QUO

Field Grown Greens• 90% of production• Sometimes Organic• Triple washed• Recent food safety issues• Seasonal• Typically not local

Hydroponics

Superior Fresh Greens• Significant production• USDA Organic certified• Unwashed raw• Greenhouse Safe• Local – Year Round• Consumer favorite

https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/300dpi/kesa/d3049-9.jpg

Superior Fresh LLC

DISRUPTCHALLENGESTATUS QUO

Atlantic Salmon• 99% Ocean Pen Produced• > 90% imported into USA• Zero waste capture• Sea lice/pesticides/escapees

Superior Fresh Salmon• American made• Local & fresh• Zero discharge from production• No sea lice/pesticides/escapees• Consumer favorite

https://www.ars.usda.gov/images/docs/11517_11711/NetPen.jpg

Superior Fresh LLC

1st Land-Based Atlantic Salmon Producer in USALargest Aquaponic Producer in USA

Superior Fresh LLC

More on land-raised salmon producers at

the end of this presentation

Superior Fresh LLC

Traditional Aquaponics• Integrating plant & fish in a

single water treatment system• Low-technology model

– plants are part of biofiltrer– primitive solids removal – internal biosolids digestion– no oxygen supplementation– water quality okay for tilapia– low production intensity, i.e., low

feed capacity• Small-scale owner-operator • Economic viability uncertain

– Love et al. 2014

Superior Fresh LLC

Superior Fresh Aquaponics

• High-tech agri-business

• Best available technology– Water treatment – Automation of harvest & processing– Automation of environmental control

Superior Fresh LLC

Superior Fresh Aquaponics

• Goals– Produce GREAT FOOD

• USDA Organic certified leafy greens• Highest quality salmon:

“Best Choice”– Improve food safety – Achieve economies of scale– Reduce production costs – Minimize environmental impacts

Superior Fresh LLC

State-of-the-Art Technology

• Salmon House– ~ 100 MT current production

• Atlantic salmon (~4 kg) every week

• Steelhead (2-3 kg) intermittently

– 500 MT expansion in design

• Hydroponic Greenhouse– 600 to 1000 MT current prod

• micro-greens• baby greens• head lettuce• spinach• power mix• spring mix

– 3 acre in 2018– 6 acres in early 2019; 2X

production– 15 acres in 2020; 5-fold increase

in production

Superior Fresh LLC

Maximize Nutrient Utilization

• 99.9% of flow is recycled• Spilled production & processing water

irrigates 20 acres of alfalfa Stored when ground is frozen or saturatedNone discharged to surface water

• 1.1 ton fish feed produces 1 ton fish & 6-10 MT leafy greens Ultimate IMTA

Superior Fresh LLC

Superior Fresh LLC

Superior Fresh Team

Experts Horticulture Water chemistry Biology Aquaculture Engineering & CAD Food Safety –

Microbiology Mechanical-Electric Sales Human resources

Superior Fresh LLC

Superior Fresh Team

Wisconsin Educated UW Stevens Point - 5 UW River Falls - 4 UW Lacrosse - 3 Chippewa Valley Tech - 2 UW Madison - 1 UW Stout - 1 UW Parkside - 1 Fox Valley Tech – 1

Wisconsin Residence Over 90% live in WI

Superior Fresh LLC

Steelhead Production

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• Intermittent 2-3 kg harvest• USDA, Troutlodge, Riverence• 84% HOG yield

Superior Fresh LLC

Atlantic Salmon ProductionHatching, 1st Feeding,

& Smoltification

Superior Fresh LLC

Hi-Tech RASDeveloped at

Freshwater Institute

– dual-drain culture tanks– radial flow settlers– drum filters– fluidized sand biofilters– forced-ventilated cascade

aeration– low head oxygenation– ozonation

Superior Fresh LLC

Certified Organic Salmon Feed

Skretting Optiline RC Organic

• 42% protein and 30% fat• Fish meal, fish oil, organic barley, vegetable oil,

natural astaxanthin• Improves fecal pellet stability

Costs more than commodity feed, but market prefers this story

Superior Fresh LLC

Salmon Finishing

• Standard Operating Practices9-day depuration

• Fantastic flavor profile• Finishing flow is discharged

Superior Fresh LLC

Post-Harvest Stunning and Hand Processing

Superior Fresh LLC

Diseases and

Parasites

No major fish health events

A little fungus during incubation, fry, & parr culture

No vaccination, antibiotics, formalin, or chemical pesticides used

No sea lice or kudoa

No ISAV, IPNV, VHSV, OMV, SVCV, A. salmonicida, R. salmoninarum, Y. ruckeri, M. cerebralis, C. Shasta, or K. thyrsites

No escapees

Superior Fresh LLC

Atlantic Salmon Growth

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116NADF216NADF816NADF517ATL817ATL1117ATL218ATL518ATL

Superior Fresh LLC

Harvest Size

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Cascades Stofnfiskur

Superior Fresh LLC

Performance Summary

• Feed conversion 1.1: 1

• Finishing Loss 3-5% of weight

• HOG Yield– Cascades 93% ± 1%– Stofnfiskur 88% ± 5%

Superior Fresh LLC

Quality Attributes of Superior Fresh Atlantic

Salmon Fillets

• Mercury & PCB’s – below

quantifiable limits

• Omega 3 fatty acids per 100 g fillet:– 562 ± 47 mg EPA– 1021 ± 44 mg DHA– 144 ± 10 mg ALA

Superior Fresh LLC

Premium PricingTypically highest priced salmon

fillet at the seafood counter

Superior Fresh LLC

Address Market Needs

• Ranked “Best Choice” by MBA• Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) Certified• Local production• Organic feed• Great story!• Fillet has no marks from vaccination or sea lice,

& no kudoa, antibiotics, pesticides• Highly traceable• Consistent production

Superior Fresh LLC

Conclusions

Superior Fresh has pioneered a sustainable production model

- Maximum nutrient capture & revenue 1 ton feed 10 ton food

- Zero discharge from production or processing systems & zero escapees

- Obligate pathogens & sea lice excluded

- Fillet quality is unsurpassed

- Positive market feed-back & pricing

Superior Fresh LLC

Conclusions

Aquaponics can produce Atlantic salmon & greens

Atlantic salmon perform well in freshwater RAS

Superior Fresh is applying well proven, science-based technology taken from 2 decades of R&D

Superior Fresh has benefited from many partners

Critical research remains. Requires input from USDA ARS, TCF, NADF, CtrlAQUA, industry, others

Superior Fresh LLC

Land-Based Salmon Growout

1. KUTERRA (Canada)

2. Golden Eagle Aqua (Canada)

3. Superior Fresh(USA)

4. CanAqua(Canada)

5. Sustainable Blue(Canada)

6. BDV(France)

7. Langsand Laks-Atl. Sapphire (Denmark)

8. Danish Salmon(Denmark)

9. Swiss Alpine (Switzerland)

10. Jurassic Salmon(Poland)

11. Xinjiang Ehe(China)

12. Shandong Oriental(China)

RAS Already Harvesting Salmon

1,2

34,5 7,8,9

106 1112

Superior Fresh LLC

Land-Based Salmon Growout

• Freshwater Institute USA (WV) ~20 MT 2012• Superior Fresh USA (WI) ~100 MT 2018• Kuterra Canada (BC) ~400 MT 2014• Golden Eagle Aqua Canada (BC) ~100 MT 2014• CanAqua Canada (NS) ~100 MT 2015• Sustainable Blue Canada (NS) ~200 MT 2015• BDV France ~50 MT 2013• Atlantic Sapphire/L.L. Denmark ~700 MT 2013• Danish Salmon Denmark ~700 MT 2015• Jurassic Salmon Poland ~700 MT 2016• Swiss Alpine Switzerland ~400 MT 2017• Yantai/Shandong China ~700 MT 2012• Xinjiang Irtysh River China ~700 MT 2017

Facilities Already Harvesting Salmon1st Harvest

Superior Fresh LLC

Land-Based Salmon Growout

• Nordic Aquafarms Norway 2,400 MT• Atlantic Sapphire/L.L. Denmark 2,000 MT• Agri Asia China 250 MT• Atlantic Sapphire/Miami USA (FL) 10,000 MT • Nordic Aquafarms USA (ME) 16,000 MT• Whole Ocean USA (ME) 5,000 MT• SmögenLax Aquaculture Sweden 1,000 MT• Akvafarm Rjukan Norway 10,000 MT• Niri Scotland 2,000 MT• FishFrom Scotland 3,600 MT• A. Salmon South Africa South Africa 1,500 MT

Facilities Under Construction/Expansion or Planned

Superior Fresh LLC

Atlantic Sapphire, Miami, FL

Superior Fresh LLC

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Land-Based Trout/Steelhead Growout

1. Taste of BC, 100 MT (Canada)

2. Riverence, 100 MT(USA)

3. Bell Aquaculture, 1000 MT(USA)

4. Hudson Valley 1200 MT (USA)

5. Fifax AB, 3000 MT(Finland)

6. Danish Model Farms, 16,000 MT (Denmark)

7. Hayashi, 200 MT(Japan)

RAS Already Stocked with Fish

2

Superior Fresh LLC

Thank You!