By Julie Vrazel
Summer get-togethers and crawfish boils go hand-in-hand. And the mudbugs for those events come from crawfish farmers like John Gaulding.
Down along the Gulf Coast in Hamshire, Texas, John and his son have been raising crawfish for more than 20 years. Every fall, John floods his fields—filling them with water and creating the ideal habitat for this seasonal crustacean.
Come spring, they harvest the mudbugs and wash them in a purging tank. That helps eliminate the gritty taste and make for a better eating experience.
John then grades, packages and ships the crawfish across the Lone Star State.
Once the crawfish are harvested, John’s farming isn’t exactly finished. He moves straight into his second crop—rice—on the same field. The rice, which will be ready to harvest in the fall, keeps his fields in production throughout the year when crawfish are out of season.
The crawfish season is short, so take advantage of it while it lasts!
Thanks, John, for showing us your farm and your mudbugs. We’ll think of you the next time we’re having a crawfish boil.
Click here to meet other Texas farmers through our Meet a Farmer video series.
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