By JULIA WILSON

HOOPER—A junk fish that was once only eaten by the poorest of the poor brought Erwin Young to Hooper in 1974.

“I’d been farming catfish in Texas, but the more I found out about Talapia the more interested I became,” Young said.

Talapia was considered a “junk” fish, like carp only with a worse reputation for bad taste because they were grown in polluted water.

“They needed warm water, and it is too expensive to artificially warm a pond and still make a decent profit,” he said. “Geo-thermal water was perfect for us.”

By picking out all of the white fish that were hatched he was able to produce fish that looked “good enough to eat.” By keeping the water clean taste was no longer a problem.

Talapia reproduce every 21 days, so Young was soon over-run with fish. Buying the first 100 baby alligators in 1987 seemed like a good idea at the time.

“I didn’t tell anybody at first because I was afraid my neighbors might not like the idea of alligators next door, but word got out,” he said.

And when it did, everybody wanted to come and see the unlikely reptiles. Soon so many people were showing up for tours of the farm he decided to start charging for regular tours.

Young’s son Jay took to the cold blooded reptiles and has stayed in Hooper to help run the business.

In addition to giving tours and the occasional alligator wrestling for tourists, Jay rescues unwanted pet reptiles.

“It looks cute in the pet store, but these things get big,” Jay said, showing off some of the huge snakes he has rescued. “We offer a sanctuary for unwanted exotic pets.”

Education is key for people who want to have pet reptiles. The Youngs go to schools to give children hands-on programs to teach them to respect and understand the needs of reptiles.

The Youngs have continued their organic approach to growing fish. Water pollution is nonexistent because of the lilly pads they grow in the fish ponds and because all of the water is filtered through a hydroponic growing system they created.

They have also perfected a compost that has been extremely beneficial in promoting the growth of plants on their own plots as well as in neighbors’ fields.

One of the most useful discoveries they have made in the field of waste treatment.

It turns out that lilly pads grown in municipal sludge ponds can organically clean up pollution.

Dr. Paul Morgan, a geothermal geologist with the Colorado Geological Survey at the Department of Natural Resources, said Young's geothermal water useage is one of the most extensive he has seen.

He said he was especially impressed with the use he was making of water lillies to keep the water clean.

All of Young’s innovations are the by-product of running his talapia and alligator farm in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Jay is always working to keep the farm fresh, with something new all the time. He is in negotiations to buy a white alligator to add to the 400 regular gators on the farm. He is also increasing the size on an on-site pond for divers. The pond will be built up around the sides to look like a giant tortoise from the road.

In addition to the farm tours Young also hosts a number of festivals throughout the year.

An ice festival is scheduled for December 16, providing the ice is thick enough for skating and ice sculptures.

In July there is an egg fest, to celebrate the alligators laying eggs, and in August a ‘Gator Rodeo (dates will be posted later this year at www.gatorfarm.com.)