August is: NATIONAL CATFISH MONTH
DID YOU KNOW:
*Farm- raised catfish is the largest aquaculture industry in the United
States.
*Arkansas, in 1963, was the first state to produce farm-raised catfish on a commercial level amd Mississippi was not far behind when it began its production in 1965.
*After 1970, rapid expansion of catfish production in the Mississippi Delta occurred, and Mississippi has led the catfish industry ever since.
*Today, more freshwater aquaculture is found in the Mississippi Delta than in any other region of the United States.
*Mississippi State University was the first institute to study the nutritional requirements of catfish.
*Fried catfish remains a favorite in Southern cuisine.
SOUTHERN LIFE
If you want a glimpse of Southern life,
Come close and walk with me
I'll tell you all the simple things
That you are sure to see
You'll see mockingbirds and bumblebees
Magnolia blossoms and dogwood trees
Caterpillars on the step
Wooden porches cleanly swept
Watermelons on the vine
Strong majestic Georgia pines
Rocking chairs and front yard swings
Junebugs flying on a string;
Turnip greens and hot cornbread,
Coleslaw and barbecue;
Fried okra, fried corn, fried green tomatoes
Fried pies and pickles, too.
There's ice cold tea tht's syrupy sweet,
And cool,green grass beneath your feet;
Catfish nipping in the lake,
And fresh young boys on the make.
You'll see all these things
And much, much more,
In a way of life that I adore.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
poem from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com