Ken's Fish Farm and Hatchery - Alapaha, Georgia

A WORD ABOUT KEN

Hugh Kenneth Holyoak is the owner-operator of H.K. Holyoak Farms, president of Ken's Farms, Inc., and president of Ken's Hatchery & Fish Farms, Inc. He graduated from Tift County High School in 1956 and from the University of Georgia in 1959 with a B.S. in agriculture. He served in the United States Air force from 1959 to 1965. After returning from the Air Force, Ken began working with United States Steel Corporation, and 1966 he received honors for 100% Sales Performance.

In 1975 Ken went to Auburn University to study fish parasites and diseases. In 1980 he studied crawfish culture at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

In 1980 Ken was selected for inclusion in "The Directory of Distinguished Americans" for his contribution to aquaculture and aquaculture products. In 1981 he was selected to appear in the 11th edition of "Personalities of the South" in recognition of achievements and outstanding service to community, state, and nation. He has also been presented the Presidential Achievement Award by President Ronald Reagan.

Ken's professional participation has included the American Fisheries Society, the Research Committee of Catfish Farmers of America, the World Mariculture Society, the Crustacean Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Ken, who has worked with fish since his childhood and who began growing fish commercially in 1960, develops new breeds of fish through genetics and hybridization. He has developed 10 varieties of hybrids, the most famous being the Georgia Giant Hybrid Bream. He works with many species of aquatic life, such as bream, channel catfish, largemouth bass, black and white crappie, hybrid bass, rainbow trout, frogs, crawfish and shrimp.

Ken has studied all the major bullfrog operations in the world. He studied the Amazon bullfrogs while visiting in Brazil. In 1995 Ken received college credits in Rana-Culture from a college in Brazil. He lived as the Amazon Indians lived, learning about the fish, frogs and their culture in the Amazon River.

Ken is constantly working on new ideas and improvements to benefit the fish farming industry. He attributes his success to a God-given talent, hard work and never being satisfied with his results. Over the past thirty five years Ken has developed many items which make fish and frog farming easier and more profitable. He has over 40 patents and trademarks on these items.