Iowa’s ocean-free shrimp farm

October 23, 2025 | Katie Hall

Landon Loftsgard doesn’t let distance from an ocean limit opportunity.

The Iowa native recently opened the doors to his business, Golden Outdoors, a shrimp farm near Redfield.

The startup aquaculture operation is raising Pacific white shrimp using a patent-pending, closed-loop Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) designed to address common challenges in traditional RAS and aquaculture systems.

The innovative setup utilizes algae to process shrimp waste, minimizing environmental impact and reducing water loss from evaporation and is supported by Midland Co.

At full capacity, Golden Outdoors aims to produce roughly 6,000 pounds of shrimp per year. For now, owner and operator Landon Loftsgard says the team is fine-tuning operations and learning as they go.

“We are excited to support the growth of this unique and emerging industry,” says Loftsgard. “Being 1,100 miles from the nearest ocean, it may be hard to believe, but saltwater shrimp is an ideal protein to complement Iowa’s agricultural lineup, and we look forward to being at the forefront of its development.”

Katie Hall, executive director of the Soy Aquaculture Alliance (SAA), visited Golden Outdoors earlier this week.

“The Soy Aquaculture Alliance funds research to increase the use of soy-based ingredients in aquaculture feed,” says Hall, adding that soybeans are often a major part of a shrimp’s diet when raised on a farm.

Soybean meal is the most used protein source in aquaculture feed worldworld, according to U.S. Soy.

“Higher soy inclusion rates in aquaculture diets means lower feed costs for aquaculture farmers like Landon and increased demand for the soy grown here in Iowa,” says Hall, who also serves as the senior director of advocacy for the Iowa Soybean Association.

Many aquaculture species have demonstrated a tolerance for soy at 50-75% inclusion rates, with proper supplementation, according to SAA research.

Iowa grown shrimp

Golden Outdoors received funding support through a  Choose Iowa Value-Added Grant. Funded through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the grant helps expand innovative food and agriculture ventures across the state.

Iowans interested in trying locally-raised shrimp can order directly from Loftsgard at $20 per pound by contacting him at 515-664-7799 or lloftsgard@gmail.com.

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