That's when they knew their shrimp farm was going to be a success.

"It's been a learning experience," said Jan Barber, 62. "It's taken a lot of work. I was a little nervous about the first harvest."

The couple began setting up the prawn operation in the first week of June and took their first crop this month.

The shrimp pond netted 508 pounds of shrimp - double what they expected in the first year.

The giant Malaysian shrimp, a freshwater variety, were harvested and offered for sale to the public at the farm about 80 miles northwest of Columbus.

The shrimp, sold in 1-, 2- and 5-pound bags at prices ranging from $6 to $9, sold out in about an hour.

"We didn't get to save many for ourselves, just a few little ones to try," said Ray Barber, 60.

Ohio has about 20 shrimp farms, up from 10 two years ago.

It first was allowed in the state in 2001. Special approval was needed from the Department of Natural Resources, since the crustacean is not native to Ohio.

Studies since 2002 have shown that shrimp, or actually freshwater prawn, can thrive in Ohio's climate.

They do better in southern Ohio, though, said Christina Leighfield, a researcher for Ohio State University's aquaculture program.

Ray Barber said shrimp die when water temperatures hit 55 degrees and the prawns can't breed in Ohio because they do not become warm enough.

He said that out of the 16,000 shrimp placed in their pond, 12,200 survived to harvest. The prawns eat zooplankton and phytoplankton in the water, and they are fed high-protein pellets and distillery grain twice a day.

During the harvest, the pond was drained and the shellfish were caught in baskets.

Barber said it normally takes three years for a shrimp pond to be at full production. By that time, they could get between 2,200 and 2,500 pounds.

He said that could force them into selling their harvest to stores or wholesalers instead of just relying on pond-side sales.

"It's a risky business, but it can be a lucrative one once you get it going," said Ray Barber. "We'll definitely do this again next year. The pond will just get better and better as it gets seasoned."