Go Wild
Timmy is part of the Wild American Shrimp organization created to promote Certified Wild American Shrimp, which they consider to be the best shrimp around. Made up of boat owners, dock owners, buyers, and processors from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, the group works to educate consumers about this premium shrimp and supply it from the Gulf and South Atlantic waters.

"You can taste the difference," says Eddie Gordon, the group's executive director. "In fact, studies at Texas A&M have shown wild shrimp have more flavor-building compounds from their varied diet than the pond-raised varieties. Not only that, wild shrimp are meatier because they're literally swimming for their lives."

Timmy thinks it's all in the water. "Pond-raised shrimp don't have currents in their waters, so farmers have to add antibiotics to keep the shrimp healthy. We don't have to do that; Mother Nature takes care of the shrimp for us," he says with a big smile.

Eddie and Timmy both agree that the future of Wild American Shrimp is promising, but there's work to be done. "It's getting harder to make a living. Imported pond-raised shrimp are flooding our market, so the price we get at the docks for our shrimp is dropping," Timmy reflects. That could be on the rebound, however, as interest in this premium product grows. "More consumers and chefs are embracing the significance of the ‘local' movement, why it's important to understand the origin of your food and why this is so vital to our region," says Eddie.

To learn more about Wild American Shrimp, where to purchase it, and Southern chefs who feature it on their menus, visit www.wildamericanshrimp.com.

"Fresh From the Bayou" is from the June 2008 issue of Southern Living.