INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana may be known for its pork tenderloin, but an agricultural technology company is hoping to bring another protein to your plate: shrimp.
Atarraya Inc. is the company behind Shrimpbox, the first container-based sustainable shrimp farm in the country. Choosing the Crossroads of America to debut the operation was intentional, according to the company’s founder and CEO.
“We want to prove that we can grow shrimp anywhere,” Daniel Russek said.
Russek says that this shrimp farm is different from traditional shrimp farms.
“We are different because we don’t need an ocean. This shrimp farm is based on biotechnology and we can reuse water several times. We use microbial communities to keep our water in balance.”
Shrimpbox doesn’t require the use of antibiotics or chemicals either.
“We use microbial communities to keep our water in balance. We recycle the nutrients, we recycle the energy. We have a circular economy and a circular ecosystem within our ponds.”
Shrimpbox will hold its first commercial harvest Tuesday night.
“I think that the best feature of urban shrimp farming is that you can grow shrimp close to the consumer,” Russek said.
The company says it hopes to create up to 65 new jobs by the end of 2025.
