For many Southerners, these freshwater catfish farms are as common a sight as rows of cotton and soybeans, and just as valuable to the region's economy.
The month of August was designated as National Catfish Month by Congress in the late 1980s to highlight contributions the U.S. catfish industry makes to the economy.
Each year, four states that produce the majority of the nation's catfish -- Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi -- recognize their most respected and successful farmers as "Catfish Farmers of the Year."
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