Growing up in a farming family in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Harry Simmons looked forward to becoming a farmer himself. And in the mid 1970s after farming a few years, he found his perfect crop: Catfish, a clean, sustainable food that could provide delicious year-round nutrition for American families even as it protected and nurtured the environment. Harry began to replace his fields with ponds supplied by aquifers 100 feet below the rich alluvial soil of the Mississippi Delta, and in 1982 Simmons Farmed Raised Catfish Processing Plant opened, ensuring Simmons total quality control over its product. Today, Simmons grow and deliver the best tasting and highest quality U.S. farm raised catfish in the world — right from our family owned farm. Harry knows that every shipment of Simmons Farm Raised Catfish has the Simmons name on it, and that’s important. “I’m proud of my family’s good name,” he says. “I won't put it on a product that doesn't deserve to be called “Simmons!”

What Makes Our Products Great?

Thanks to our high standards of farming, Simmons Catfish is already a step ahead in quality by the time it arrives at the plant. Simmons’ absolute quality standards mean that fish from every pond are flavor tested once a day for three days before harvest. Then with a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology, skilled artistry and meticulous attention to detail, Simmons’ swift, sterile processing takes that quality to the next level, ensuring that each and every Simmons product—fillet or whole, ice-packed or IQF—is the very finest on the market, without exception.

What makes us most proud of producing Genuine MS products?

Since many on our team have been with us for decades, it’s no exaggeration to say we’re a true family here at Simmons, all of us guided by the same passion for excellence and dedication to service that have made our name synonymous with quality. At Simmons, one company—one family—controls every aspect of production, from ponds through processing through delivery on our fleet of trucks.

How does buying Genuine MS products make a difference here in Mississippi?

Supporting Genuine MS products keeps jobs in the hands of Mississippians which benefits everyone as well as the economy. Simmons Catfish wants to continue providing opportunities for our employees to grow and thrive in their home state.

Why should people seek out and buy Genuine MS products?

Simmons Farm Raised Catfish is wowing food lovers and chefs all across the nation, from elegant establishments to down-home diners to family dinner tables. Mississippians should support this local treasure raised in their own backyard!