James E. Wetzel, a cooperative researcher and professor from the Lincoln University

How would you describe your booth?

“We got those [tadpoles] from farm ponds and then we put them in a raceway where we
have pool water from a spring that’s kept at the right temperature that also keeps the water void
good. We make sure to take them out to feed at least a day before we go to events like these. We
don’t want them going to the bathroom, messes up their work.”
Why do you choose to participate in AG day?
“It’s a way for [Lincoln University] to meet students and find people who would be interested
in doing research at Lincoln University.”
What do you do at the University?
“I’m a professor. I do research extension. Extension is when I go out and talk to farmers. And I
teach. I teach a total of six credit hours, not very much, but I’m also an adviser.”
What’s the most difficult thing about raising the tadpoles?
“There is nothing difficult about it. Personally, I see them as pests. The most difficult thing about
them is when I harvest the fish that I’m trying to raise with them, the tadpoles sometimes weigh
more than the fish do, and clog up the nets. The ponds I have are at least a quarter of the size,
When I pull the nets full of water through, sometimes they’ll have a couple hundred pounds of
tad poll in one pull and then we have to sort them out from fifty or a hundred pounds of fish. The
bigger kinds [ of tadpole], they’e called the American Bull Frogs. They produce a toxin which the other
fish don’t do well with contact. Most fish don’t like to eat them. The bass do [like to eat American Bullfrog tadpoles], the other fish don’t.”[penci_authors_box_2 style_block_title=”style-title-11″ columns=”columns-2″ post_desc_length=”20″ number=”2″ order_by=”user_registered” include=”86, 93″ block_id=”penci_authors_box_2-1573425348518″ custom_markup_1=””]