I.F. Anderson Farms in Arkansas: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
I.F. Anderson Farms is a fourth-generation fish farm at Lonoke in central Arkansas that Arkansas Farm Bureau described in 2019 as the nation's largest baitfish hatchery. The family was named the 2019 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year, a program judged on production, efficiency, farm management, family life and community leadership.
| Location | Lonoke, Lonoke County, central Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1949, when the Anderson family first dug and stocked ponds at Lonoke, per the Encyclopedia of Arkansas |
| Sectors | Baitfish, golden shiners, goldfish and forage fish; aquaculture equipment |
| Scale | About 1.3 billion fish a year on 3,334 water acres and 45 employees, per Arkansas Farm Bureau coverage in 2019 |
| Why it is notable | 2019 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year; described as the nation's leading golden shiner producer |
| Ownership | Family owned; fourth generation led by James Neal Anderson and his son Jamie |
| Official website | I.F. Anderson Farms official site (Anderson Minnow Farm) |
History of I.F. Anderson Farms
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas says the I.F. Anderson family first dug and stocked farm ponds at Lonoke in 1949. A local magazine profile traces the business to the early 1940s, when I.F. (Andy) Anderson of Yazoo City, Mississippi, ran a baitfish route through Memphis to Lonoke and traded wild-caught minnows with a Lonoke goldfish farmer. The family chose Lonoke because of its flat land and good groundwater, learned much of the work by trial and error, and built ponds on cleared land.
Leadership passed from Andy to his son Neal and then to Jamie Anderson, a great-grandson of W.L. Anderson, who started working on the farm at age 12 and later earned an agriculture business degree at the University of Arkansas. When Arkansas Farm Bureau named the family its 2019 Farm Family of the Year, Jamie said the family farms because it is in their blood, and the fifth generation was at the award event.
What I.F. Anderson Farms Grows and Raises
The farm raises golden shiners, goldfish, fathead minnows and other forage and bait species in a checkerboard of ponds divided by levee roads. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas reports an 11,000-square-foot hatchery and about 3,400 acres of ponds, while Arkansas Farm Bureau cited 3,334 water acres and about 45 employees. Fry are shipped in spring and adult forage fish are sold through the year.
The farm developed the Black Salty, a freshwater-reared baitfish that tolerates salt water, which opened saltwater bait markets. Water is reused from pond to pond by pumping and gravity flow, which the family says conserves groundwater. The fish are health tested twice a year under a veterinarian's supervision, and the farm is certified under the Arkansas bait and ornamental fish certification program. Farm Bureau also said the family helped develop national inspection standards for interstate baitfish shipping.
How I.F. Anderson Farms Makes Money
Wholesale and retail baitfish
The farm sells baitfish by the pound to wholesale and retail outlets and ships to more than 40 states each year, according to Farm Bureau. A local magazine profile reports more than 1 million pounds sold annually and customers that include zoos.
Direct shipping and specialty stock
Trade press has described the move from large truck loads to selling direct and shipping by air, so smaller buyers can receive minnows by next-day delivery. The patented Black Salty gives the farm a product that competitors without that stock cannot offer.
Forage fish and equipment
The farm sells forage fish to bass farmers and pond owners, and Farm Bureau noted that it develops and manufactures aquaculture equipment, which adds a second line of business beside the fish.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from I.F. Anderson Farms
Own a niche and defend it. The farm built a reputation in golden shiners and then added a proprietary product, the Black Salty, that opened a new customer segment. Biosecurity and certification turned disease control into a selling point rather than only a cost.
Reuse scarce inputs. Moving pond water through the system before release is a practical way to stretch groundwater, and it is a message that resonates with regulators and buyers. Operators considering aquaculture should talk with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and land-grant extension about permits and health testing before investing in ponds.
A farm that raises well over a billion fish a year has to run the most crowded swimming school in the Delta. Fans of farm.FM who love farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes will appreciate that Lonoke's minnow business is a cattle drive where nobody needs a horse, only a very patient net. We tip our hat to four generations of Andersons.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact I.F. Anderson Farms
Website: http://www.andersonminnows.com/index.php
The official website address was found in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas entry; no address, phone or email was verified from the site itself, so check the website for current ordering and contact details, November 2026.
I.F. Anderson Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Anderson Minnow Farm website - Official site of I.F. Anderson Farms
- Talk Business & Politics - 2019 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year announcement
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas - Entry on I.F. Anderson Farms
- Texas A&M extension - Baitfish production in the United States
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture - Aquaculture regulatory section
I.F. Anderson Farms FAQ
What does I.F. Anderson Farms raise?
It raises baitfish and forage fish including golden shiners, goldfish and fathead minnows, and it developed the Black Salty for saltwater bait use.
Where is I.F. Anderson Farms?
The farm is at Lonoke in Lonoke County, central Arkansas.
How big is the operation?
Arkansas Farm Bureau reported 1.3 billion fish a year on 3,334 water acres in 2019, and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas lists about 3,400 acres of ponds.
How can I contact the farm?
Use the official website, andersonminnows.com, for current ordering and contact information.
I.F. Anderson Farms shows how a family can turn Arkansas groundwater, flat land and patient biology into a national baitfish business over four generations. For more producers and programs, see the Arkansas state guide on bestfarms.top.