JENNINGS, La. — This week's KATC CRAWDAQ Index update is in Jeff Davis Parish.
I talked with a couple of farmers in Jennings whose decisions to go beyond the pond have helped keep their business up during this tough season.
Like many other parishes in Acadiana, crawfish farming is big in Jeff Davis, and the summer drought put quite a strain on most everyone involved in the industry.
Way before the drought, these farmers decided to split their time between farming and other crawfish-related gigs, and it paid off.
Paul Habetz has been a crawfish farmer in Jeff Davis Parish for much longer than he's been a restaurant owner, but this year, selling the crawfish he produces himself has helped to weather the storm, bringing benefits to his business that others may be missing.
"I feel like we cut out the middle man. We wash and clean all our own crawfish with our own men, and that helps us lower the price and pass it to the customer," said Habetz, owner and operator of Habetz Family Crawfish2Go.
Another cost benefit of the business: being a drive-thru helps cut down on overhead costs.
"Mainly because we don't have the overhead of the big restaurants and sit-downs. A lot of people come through and leave and take the expense home for the restaurant," he said.
Another farmer in the area, Burt Tietje, has found a creative way to put his crawfish farm to use and feed his passion for agriculture. When he isn't farming, he's giving tours to curious kids and visitors.
"We entertain anywhere from 1,200 to 2,000 people a year out here at the farm, talking about what we do here on the farm with this very unique agricultural activity of crawfishing. Obviously we get a lot of school kids, but I get lots of tour buses from all over the country," said Tietje, land owner of Tallgrass Farm.
Tietje doesn't take the groups out on the pond, but they will crowd together on the dock to catch a glimpse of the farmer in action.
"I'm passionate about crawfish. I'm passionate about agriculture, and I like to share what we do here," he said.
To see this week's full report for Lafayette, Jeff Davis and Evangeline Parishes, click here.
Next week will be our last CRAWDAQ update for the 2024 season, so be sure to check in on Thursday night.
