It’s not every day that Hollywood comes a-knocking, but when they do, hopefully, you are on the other end of the line to answer. And that is exactly what happened to Shannon Gonsoulin, owner of Gonsoulin Land & Cattle Company, and Tammy Jacob, daughter of Willis Jacob, affectionately known as The Okra Man. 

Hollywood is Calling

Gonsoulin is used to receiving solicitation calls, most of which are left unanswered. But on that fateful day, he listened to a voicemail from a California man who wanted to discuss his beef. “I almost didn’t call him back. It was a vague message, but he seemed interested in our cuts of meat.” It was a good thing he responded, because the phone call was from Tommy Nguyen, producer of Emeril Lagasse’s show “Emeril Cooks.” Nguyen was looking to feature local small producers on the hit food show and had come across the GLC website. 

Across town, Tammy Jacob returned a phone call to an unknown number with a California area code. Jacob was on a cruise when Nguyen left a message explaining he was the producer of a food show looking to feature a story about farm-to-table okra. “(Ngyuen) read a Daily Iberian article about Willis Jacob, my dad, aka The Okra Man. The article said to contact me for some okra, and so that’s how they got a hold of us. He was intrigued because my dad was an 80-year-old man who woke up every morning at 4:30 a.m. to tend to his okra. He didn’t even mention the show was Emeril’s until our third phone conversation.”

Ready, Set, Action

The film crew set out for New Iberia in March, where they followed The Okra Man from sunrise, planting five acres of his new crop of pods. The crew flew back in July to film the okra harvest. “It was a great experience, I’m sure for the crew, but also for us. Having them there to just see the harvest from experiencing the planting really added something special to the okra season.”  

Over at the Gonsoulin ranch, Nguyen and crew experienced a day in the life of ranch hands. Gonsoulin and his 18-year-old son, Josh, who hopes to take over the 200-year-old family business one day, shared the day-to-day operations of managing livestock. Drone footage captured the farmers working the certified grass-fed cattle on horseback through the ranch’s 350 acres.

BAM!

The production crew returned to Louisiana to film the cooking portion of the show at the Botanical Gardens in New Orleans. Nestled within the heart of the historic city, the Botanical Gardens beckon like a tranquil oasis amidst the rhythmic bustle. Through the wrought iron gates, a haven of lush greenery, vibrant blooms, and artful landscapes became the backdrop for “Emeril Cooks.” 

Gonsoulin and his team watched in amazement as Emeril whipped up three different dishes, with three cuts of meat, simultaneously. In Gonsoulin’s words, the chef has a mind like a computer. “He’s rolling through what he is doing, talking about each dish, and he knows how long each steak has been on the grill or exactly when the sides need to come out of the oven. It was impressive.” Gonsoulin also noted how interesting it was to see how many people it takes to pull off a 15-minute cooking show.

On the day Emeril cooked the okra dishes, Willis Jacob and all of the Jacob siblings (five in all, including Tammy and the youngest sister who owns a restaurant in Atlanta) traveled to New Orleans to watch the world-renowned chef in action. “He prepared five okra side dishes,” Jacob told us. “Smothered, fried, raw, stewed, grilled and, of course, in a Bloody Mary. I even learned a little something about okra that day.” 

Small Producers on a National Scale

Being featured on a national platform and alongside one of the most famous chefs in the world has been a humbling experience for both Gonsoulin and Jacob. 

“Small producers seem to get forgotten, but they are actually the grassroots of agriculture,” Gonsoulin says. “I hope our segment highlights that every community has these small producers, and if communities supported them more, they’d have better quality and more local producers.”

For Jacob, she anticipates that the public will learn a lot about okra and how beneficial it can be to grow. “I want people to learn about the plant. Many people may not even consider eating okra, much less growing it. Okra has nutritional benefits, and it’s seasonal, so it can be easy to grow.” 

And not just easy to grow. The Okra Man has been growing okra for decades, and even though he is technically retired, he still loves to share his harvest with friends and family throughout Acadiana. “It’s not about selling okra for us. It’s about sharing the special vegetable with the community.”

“Emeril Cooks” can be streamed for free on Roku and YouTube. The two episodes have not been scheduled as of this article.