Thompson's Prawn Farm is one of a few farms attempting to create a new market in North Carolina. Aquaculture has long been a viable industry in the carolinas. However, prawn farming has only recently been attempted by North Carolina farmers.

Thompson's Prawn Farm is owned and operated by Joe Thompson. A former tobacco farmer, Joe began investigating prawn farming after he was forced to quit farming tobacoo due to increased government pressure on small farmers to exit the tobacco industry and a series of hip-joint replacement operations. "Prawn farming is a great alternative to farming tobacco because it gives me the ability to provide a popular food to the local seafood market and it is not labor intensive, which is a must due to my hip-joint replacement", says Joe.