Smelley Named Catfish Farmer Of The Year
It’s 5:55 a.m. when Luke Smelley’s iPhone starts ringing; he picks up, and a scorching July workday starts for Alabama’s Catfish Farmer of the Year. Two hours later, Luke is driving on a pond dam scattering a 32% protein feed to millions of fish near Greensboro in Hale County. Once the fish reach 2 pounds, they’ll be harvested and processed. Next stop: a grocery store or restaurant where consumers can purchase lean, delicious U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish. “It’s worth making an investment in the grocery store,” said Luke, 35. “Catfish is a good quality product that is wholesome and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I think it’s a good-tasting product compared to other fish. It’s healthy, too, especially the way Lana cooks it.” Lana is his wife of 12 years. She’s a creative cook whose kitchen escapades often incorporate the farm’s bounty, such as catfish and pimento cheese sliders, catfish egg rolls, or catfish, spinach and artichoke dip. She’s also an accomplished architect who designed the gray farmhouse where the Smelleys raise their children — Levi, 10; Violet, 8; Everett, 5; Daisy, 3; and Iris, 1. The two-time Auburn University graduate designs renovations and new construction through Smelley Architecture & Interiors. “Living on the farm, the kids get to experience what their dad does firsthand, and they get to help,” Lana said. “Plus, they get hands-on experience with animals. It’s an amazing way to raise our family.” Getting U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish from pond to plate is time-intensive. Fish are hatched in Mississippi and are released into ponds when they are around 6-8 inches in length. This begins the months-long, daily routine of feeding and monitoring growing conditions. Luke embraces technology such as solar buoys that feed oxygen level updates to a computer. “It’s telling me what it’s reading every three minutes,” Luke said. “We run paddle wheels to keep the oxygen in the ponds stable, and the computer is programmed to turn the paddle wheels on when needed.” But manually monitoring oxygen levels is critical, especially during the steamy summer. “Computers can mess up, so we have to keep someone out here all the time checking levels,” he said. Luke uses a computer to track feed conversion of fish. During harvest at 15-18 months, the seine (or net) catches larger fish, leaving smaller ones to grow. Ponds are ideally 10-13 acres each, Luke said, with a stocking rate of 8,000-10,000 fish per acre of water. Catfish farming is geographically specialized, with most farms landing in west Alabama’s Black Belt, a region of dark, fertile soil perfect for holding abundant freshwater. In 2019, Alabama farmers grew 102 million pounds of catfish on more than 16,000 acres — over 30% of all catfish in the U.S. The state ranks second only to Mississippi in catfish production. As Alabama’s Catfish Farmer of the Year, Luke is featured in Catfish Farmers of America advertising campaigns. “Luke is a great example of how hard work pays off,” said Alabama Farmers Federation Catfish Division Director Mitt Walker. “He’s invested in his farm and works hard to grow healthy, safe, affordable U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish. We’re proud for Luke to help put a face to catfish farming.” Luke serves on the Hale County Farmers Federation board and was Alabama’s 2019 Outstanding Young Farm Family winner. From an early age, Luke caught on to catfish farming. He was raised on a farm across the road from his and Lana’s current homeplace and spent summers working with his father in the catfish processing facility in Uniontown. He credits his father, George, for instilling a love of catfish farming — and the know-how to make it happen. After high school, Luke rented a neighbor’s 75 acres of ponds and grew the fish farm. Today, he owns 200 acres of water and manages his father’s 400 acres of water, producing nearly 5 million pounds of fish annually. He also has a beef cattle herd and stocker calves and bales hay. Luke prioritizes family time, whether deer hunting with the kids, organizing daddy-daughter dates or letting the boys pitch in while working cows on horseback. He’s back at the house for lunch, too, saying a prayer of thanksgiving before digging in. (The Smelleys attend Fairhaven Baptist Church in Demopolis) By 9 p.m., Luke is texting his crew recapping the day and planning for another early morning. He said good employees are essential to running the farm and growing U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish for families nationwide. “We have the cleanest water and grow healthy catfish,” he said. “It’s an easy choice for families everywhere.”