A Week In The Life Of A Koi Farmer (WC 29_9_25)
A Week in the Life of a Koi Farmer – Autumn
Life at Byer Koi Farm is tied closely to the seasons, and each one makes its mark in a different way. The jobs, the light, the temperature, even the smell of the place — they all change as the year turns. With those changes come different stresses and strains, but also different joys.
This season, autumn, is all about harvesting and marketing our nisai, as well as bedding in the new season’s koi and making progress with selections from our 2025 spawnings. Seeing the new koi, and the quality of the nisai we’ve produced, has given us a chance to reflect on the year. And in many ways, it’s been a really good one.
Sunset, with mist rolling off the neighbouring fields - a moment from autumn 2022, captured in this photograph.
The Feel of Autumn on the Farm
Autumn has its own presence here. Mornings often begin with mist rising from the fields around us. The koi are still active, but beginning to slow slightly, and with the sun lower in the sky their colours take on a different look when they break through the surface to feed — flashes of red, white, gold — koi moving strongly after a summer of growth.
The farm sounds different too: less hum, more rustle. Trees are starting to shed leaves and the air is becoming cooler. There’s an earthy smell around now — damp soil, wet leaves, the sharper bite of cold mornings. Even the water seems cleaner, clearer. These details mark the season for us just as much as the work itself.
The Work of the Season
Customers have kept Amanda and me very busy over the last month, both in the shop and online. Thank you to everyone who has visited or bought koi from us recently. Many of you have taken advantage of the nisai harvested at the start of September, as well as the online releases and, more recently, the end-of-season mixes. Add to that the new season 2–3 and 3–4 inch mixes, and it’s fair to say it’s been full-on.
As I write this, I can hardly believe we’ve managed to get through it all. The sales room is beginning to show a few gaps, which means filling it is a top priority. Much of that will come from the koi we produce here, but our current strategy is to focus breeding space on a smaller range of varieties so we can produce those at a high quality in sufficient numbers for our market. For the rest, we look to Japan so customers still have the full range to choose from.
Selections are also underway on this year’s spawnings, and already we’re seeing some amazing potential coming through. It’s early days, but the quality and variety we’ve observed so far bode really well for the range of Byer Koi Farm koi we’ll be able to offer next spring. That’s always one of the most exciting parts of the job — spotting the signs of what’s to come.
Looking Ahead
That brings me neatly to the next chapter. In just a few weeks I’ll be heading back to Japan — my second trip there this calendar year. This time, I’ll be looking to acquire new brood stock and also select some great koi to bring back for our shop. Travel has become part of the annual rhythm now, just as much as the harvests and selections. I usually prefer to travel in winter, so this will be my first autumn visit for quite a few years.
Back at the farm, the pace will shift soon. Winter routines will settle in — checking stock, regular selections, maintaining ponds and equipment, clearing and cleaning, planning ahead. But for now, autumn still has plenty to ask of us, and plenty to give back in return.
Another moment of autumn calm, here at Byer Koi Farm in 2022. A great year for autumn subsets!
Autumn at Byer Koi Farm is both work and reflection. It’s the time when the year’s breeding effort comes into focus, when the farm feels different under softer skies, and when we look forward to the next steps with fresh energy.
