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Patricia Braddock, FHA advisor at Simpson County Technical Center takes students on an education land based alligator tour that took them from the egg to the finished product on Greenwood Gator Farm.
This farm is one of 12 gator farms in Louisiana and the only place where people can tour a working gator farm. The specific purpose is to raise and farm gators, to sell the meat and hides.
Students enjoyed a trip through the back swamps of Houma with Tim “The Gator Man” Domangue. Students began with The Egg to Wallet Tour. They watched a film about gator farming and then walked through displays of the various phases. They could actually see an actual gator nest, hold gator eggs, feel gator hides (skin), and then take a photo holding a gator.
For most of the year, 12,000 gators reside in the various pens on the Greenwood grounds. All gators are born in August, 4-6 inches long. At 4.5 feet long, farmers release 12% of the gators to the wild-50,000 total from the 12 farms. The release program is so successful that the state will soon cut back the release percentage to 10%. Eggs hatch in August so it is a busy and critical time at Greenwood. When the incubator is over 90 degrees, then the hatchlings are 95% male. Males grow faster but females sustain population better. Overall, statewide, about 20% of farmed eggs do not survive. After processing, gator hides go to vendors in France, Singapore, and Italy while the meat goes to local restaurants.
Pictured (left to right-front): Tim Domangue, (Owner) of Greenwood Gator Farm, Victor Teater, Gracie Ellzy, Lauren Sullivan, Brittney Bairfield, Robert ‘Frenchy’ Crochet (cast member of The Swamp People”), Zoie Baeurle, Courtney Whipple & Asysen Smith. (left to right-back): Logan Bridges, Dawson Little, Brodie Hill, Brendon Morgan, and Michael Gill.
