PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2022

commercial bait, highway aggregate, fertilizer, etc. The company has been in conversation with Belushi’s Farm, famed actor Jim Belushi’s operation in Oregon, which needs fertilizer. Every last piece of the fish can be used – meat, scales, skin, bones – consistent

seems there are more buffalo, walleye, pike — that can be fished 11 months of the year. The hauls are bigger in winter – 8,000 pounds is a good day’s reward — when the carp are sluggish, but on this summer day they’re jumping, some into the johnboat itself.

said Sorce. And unlike the fish we buy at the big chains, at Sorce they tell you “where it was caught, when it was caught, when it was processed, where it was stored, how it got to you,” said Vogel. The fish now is on the menu as “copi” at some upscale Chicago restaurants

Copi being served at Kelleher's Pub & Eatery on Peoria's riverfront

Carter starts his day in Springfield, where he has a f ish market. For Buchanan, retired from the Peoria Police Department and still in law enforcement, this is a part-time gig.

– notably Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern – and at Kelleher’s in Peoria. The rebranding of carp to “copi” – short for “copious” – has been a nice government assist. Thedemandhas skyrocketed,meaning that Sorce Freshwater is paying the bills and then some, hitting “true BEP” – break-even point – “in less than a year. That’s like lightning fast,” said Vogel. Meanwhile, with the help of the Turner Center, the company has identified significant foreign markets for its product in China, the Dominican Republic, Israel, the United Kingdom, UAE, Canada and Africa, and that’s likely to increase. As a result, the company is eager to expand and “looking for investors” – ideally local ones — with a tiered growth plan depending on how much is raised. If there’s a downside to carp, it’s bony, and the equipment necessary to process it is expensive. Sorce also intends to go all in, from catch to processing, package to transport. For Clint Carter and Dave Buchanan, up at dawn and out on the river, it’s a dream come true. They cast 1,200 yards of netting on a scenic, cleaner, and they believe more diverse river – it

‘LIKE FARM TO TABLE, IT'S RIVER TO TABLE’

with the company’s commitment to “blue economy” principles: “What that means is when we use the fish out of the river, we’re including everybody in our mission to do it ethically, efficiently and effectively, with green energy and zero waste,” said Vogel. Alas, carp have gotten a bad rap – at least in the U.S. – over the years. “Most people think they’re dirty bottom feeders, but they’re not,” said Sorce. “They’re filter feeders, plant and algae eaters, mid-water feeders.” Carp are a white meat high in omega-3 fatty acids and low inmercury and other contaminants. The fish is flaky, mild in flavor and adaptable to multiple cuisines. Meanwhile, it is made in the U.S.A., which is important to many consumers. “Like farm to table, it’s river to table,”

— Roy Sorce

“It’s a great opportunity for a lot of guys” – and a few gals, too – said Buchanan. And Roy Sorce is committed to them — and to central Illinois. “Why would I leave when the river’s right here? Location, location, location,” said Sorce, who is quick to thank those – Turner and Bradley, IDNR, the Tri County Regional Planning Commission, the EDC, Western Illinois University, University of California Davis, etc. – who have helped get the company to this point. “There’s so much potential.”

Mike Bailey is editor in chief of Peoria Magazine

30 SEPTEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE