Catfish (07:06)

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Bobby Bognar observes fingerlings added to a manmade pond; they will grow nearly two years before they are sent to Harvest Select for processing. Workers and machines skin and fillet fish before packaging.

Alligator (05:28)

Savoie Farm raises alligators from eggs gathered in the wild; they eat weight gain kibble, reaching desired size in nearly two years. Tanners purchase the skins and Farm Pride Processors receives the meat.

Rice (07:51)

At Lundberg Farms, workers flood terraced fields before aerial seeding. After 150 days, they drain the paddies; the harvest goes to a mill. Kernels are cut from hulls and shaken cleaned; a sorting machine removes green grains before packaging.

Okra (02:36)

At Ledford Farms, field workers start harvesting before dawn to avoid intense heat; they wear protective clothing to defend against barbs. Smaller produce is tender and preferred; workers discard larger specimens.

Cottonseed Oil (06:27)

After harvest, cotton seeds go to Pyco Industries where a machine cleans them, removes the fuzzy layers, and separates the kernels from the hulls. A roller machine presses them before cooking, separating the oils from fibers.

Tabasco (07:05)

McIlhenny’s hot sauce consists of red-ripened peppers ground into mash and pumped into oak barrels. Salt layers the top during fermentation, preserving the puree as it ages three years. Vinegar is added and the sauce mixes for 28 days before bottling.

Peaches (05:28)

Bognar tours a South Carolina orchard, where farmers take special measures to protect fruit from bad weather. Wind machines and burning straw warm trees when temperatures drop; a cannon generates shock waves, preventing hail formation.

Credits: Southern Fried (00:30)

Credits: Southern Fried