| Meet Our Team!
Bickal Koi Farm is a Family Owned business with many friends and volunteers who contribute. We are one of the few businesses in Toddville Iowa.
We aren't some large commercial fishery, we are Koi Hobbiests that became breeders out of the love of Koi.
We all work full time Jobs in addition to breeding koi. We don't breed and sell koi to make a profit,
we breed them to promote the hobby and provide koi at an affordable price! We welcome pond and Koi Enthusiasts to join our team for a day
of sorting koi, or pulling ponds! |
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Greg Bickal Greg grew up playing in the Marshes, Creeks, and River in Palo Iowa. His fish breeding exploits started with a 10 gallon aqaurium full of Guppies from his Grandpa. From there he progressed to breeding Goldfish, Shubunkins, Orandas and Black Moors. Greg has over 30 years aquaculture experience! He was one of the Founding members of the Eastern Iowa Pond Society. Greg had professed to fellow EIPS member Sharon Weiss that he would never own koi, however after a visit to the Koi pond at Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska he was hooked and in 1999 started breeding Koi. If you can think it, Greg can probably build it. Greg has built the entire koi breeding facility, ponds and filtration equipment himself. He is the main koi breeder and handles the day to day maintenance, and health of the koi. Greg is full time Computer Programmer/Internet Developer (self taught) since 1983 (over 30 years, but his true passion now is Breeding Koi. He developed the website you are viewing right now with nothing but a text editor and lots of Javascript! |
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Shane Bowers Shane grew up on a farm raising cattle and hogs where he learned the value of hard work and the skills that it takes to keep animals healthy and bring them to market. His professional experience includes 20 years of sales and customer service. Shane was an obvious selection to handle Marketing and Sales for Bickal Koi Farm. If you need help picking out just the right koi or are interested in larger packaged deals, Shane is the man to talk to. |
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Rhett & Kealy Taylor Rhett and his daughter Kealy are always there to help when I need them. Kealy is a great photographer and loves to learn about koi. Rhett also has his own koi buisness called "Taylor's Ponds & More". If you need some pond work done, or are looking for some Butterfly Koi, contact Rhett! |
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Mark Briske Mark is a true koi hobbiest and a hard working Volunteer! This guy is willing to drive 4 hours down from Minnesota with his own hip waders just to help pull a koi pond. He has a great eye for picking koi and has had many of his koi win awards! He's even willing to ride in the back of a hot trailer to make sure the koi arrive home safe and sound. Mark has built an awesome koi pond and has a sweet indoor setup to help his prize koi survive a Minnesota winter! |
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Ikeda Akio Akio is our Japanese consultant. Akio was Born in Niigata, he now lives in Cedar Rapids with his wife Bonnie. The koi pond at his new house is now finished and he is eager to build his koi collection. When I need help pronouncing my Japanese or determining the sex of a tosai Akio is the man I talk to. He also could handle security at the koi farm as he has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and has been a Tae Kwon Do instructor. |
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Martha Bickal Martha works full time as a Food Delivey Engineer (Lunch Lady) at Alburnett Community School. At home, she takes care of all things Green. She's got a green thumb and an Accounting background which makes both our plants and books look fantastic. She's also an amazing cook, and makes sure the crew is well fed after a busy day working on the farm! |
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Mia Bickal Mia has been immersed in Koi all of her life. She grew up on the koi farm and has had a facination with the koi from the time she could walk. She is a valuable member of the team when it's time to cull/sort koi. Her favorite koi is a 28" Gin Rin Chagoi Male which she calls "Chubberdub". Although she hasn't said that someday she wants to take over the family business, a father can only hope! Are you smarter than a 5th Grader? |
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Tortuga Tortuga is a snapping turtle who had the misfortune of showing up in one of the Hatching ponds. Like any member of the Bickal Koi Farm Team she was immediately put to work. Her specialty is desposing of deformed and undesireble koi (aka culls). In 2010 a new market for culls opened up as feeder koi for the tropical fish market, which left Tortuga temporarily out of work. Fear not however, with a diverse skill set, she is busy once more removing the unwanted frog populations. In June 2010 we discovered Tortuga was pregnant! She is currently on Maternity leave in the Marsh at Palo. We hope she will be re-joining the team after she lays her eggs! |