The Pond Club's standards do not enforce themselves. Twelve families do — three at each of our four reserves. They are the heart of the operation, and the part of the model that does not scale by software.
How a steward family is selected
- Multi-generational fishing or aquaculture background — non-negotiable.
- A reserve interview, a six-month apprenticeship, then a probationary year.
- A long-term contract — minimum five years — and a fixed monthly retainer.
- Equity-style yield bonus tied to water-quality outcomes, not volume.
“You can write a standard. You cannot write a steward. They are made over years, in water.”
What they do that nobody else can
They read a pond. They feel a wind change before the instrument logs it. They know which morning to skip the feed, and which evening to hold the harvest. The system is theirs as much as it is ours.
Key takeaways
- Twelve families, four reserves, one shared standard.
- Stewards are recruited on background, contracted long, paid on outcomes.
- A steward's judgement is the part of the model that does not scale by software.
