PORT ALLEN — A family business that has been producing crickets in Port Allen for decades is marking its 70 anniversary.

Fluker Farms was founded in Baton Rouge in 1956 by Richard Fluker, whose original idea was to supply crickets to fishermen to use as bait. The operation later expanded and moved to Port Allen, where it is now the nation's leader in live cricket production.

Vance Noland, director of business development and a third-generation Fluker, grew up in the business.

"This is our 70 anniversary. My grandpa started the company in 1956," Noland said.

The farm ships thousands of orders every week. "On any Monday we'll ship 3-4,000 orders," Noland said.

The production lines stay busy, with around 40 jar and lid combinations cycling through the day. At full capacity, one production line puts out 50,000 units a day.

The products are Safe Quality Foods certified and sold online, through big box stores and wholesale. The crickets serve as food for reptiles like bearded dragons, tortoises and snakes.

The crickets grow inside a warehouse kept between 89 and 91 degrees. "If it's cold in this building, the crickets don't grow," Noland said.

A cricket lives six to eight weeks, so the inventory moves quickly, packaged by hand and shipped out. Most employees live nearby.

"That's just what we do, that's what we've done for 70 years," Noland said.

Fluker Farms hopes to have two more buildings up by this time next year.