Sunburst Trout Company

SunburstTroutFarms_logo.jpg

Dick Jennings loved his Grandfather's land in Western North Carolina, covered with forests of oak, hickory, maple, and poplar, watered with two rushing streams, and with 100 acres of reasonably flat land that could be cleared. It was 1931 when Dick first walked these streams and 1948 when the young WWII veteran returned to the mountains to start the first commercial trout farm in the South. Sunburst Trout Company was officially established in 1985, and  in 2001 Dick Jennings was inducted into the Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame. They are also the 2007 recipient of the Seafood Choice Alliance’s Seafood Champion Award, and recipient of the 2016 Top Artisan Jerky of the Year Award for uniqueness, packaging, texture, and flavor.

Fish are processed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to order at an HAACP certified plant. The trout are caught in the nearby streams, and brought to a holding pond to reside before being harvested. No added antibiotics, hormones or animal byproducts are used, and fish are filleted within one hour of being harvested. The fish are also free of mercury, PCBs and pesticides. Water quality is diligently monitored, and their feed formulas are low in phosphorous, helping to maintain pristine waters. Any waste is composted into fertilizer, which is sold to local farmers and gardeners.