Vermillion Parish's Natachia Stelly Selected as 2017 Outstanding Young Farm Woman

Louisiana Farm Bureau President Ronnie Anderson (L) presents Natachia Stelly with the 2017 Outstanding Young Farm Woman Award.

By Veronica Mosgrove

NEW ORLEANS - A Vermilion Parish rice and crawfish farmer is this year's Outstanding Young Farm Woman. 

Thirty-one year old Natachia Stelly received the award at the 95th Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans on June 29, 2017.  

"This is such an honor. I work so hard and for people to recognize what I do makes me so proud," said Stelly.  

Natachia Stelly baits crawfish traps with two of her daughters on their 2800 acre farm in Vermillion parish.

Stelly comes from a family of cattle ranchers and shrimpers. "I've always been 'hands on' at the farm. In the small town of Forked Island where I grew up, if you did not work, you didn't get anywhere," said Stelly. 

She and her husband, Adlar, farm 2800 acres of rice and crawfish.  

The Stelly's own Stelly's Boiling Spot in Abbeville, La. where consumers can purchase boiled crawfish, shrimp and crabs. 

The Stelly's have three daughters - ages 12, 10 and 6. All three help on the farm. 

"This is our heritage. You can't lose your heritage.  Being inside and being lazy gets you nowhere," said Stelly.  

Stelly added that farming is something you cannot take for granted. 

"It's in our blood.  You've got to want to be a farmer.  It's very hard work, but we love it. "

As the 2017 Outstanding Young Farm Woman Award winner, Stelly received a $2,000 Visa gift card from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, a trip to the American Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Leadership Conference in Reno, Nevada, a $1,500 equipment rental from H&E Equipment Services, $500 cash from BASF, a $250 gift card from Conquest Completion Services, a $250 Choice Hotels gift card, and a $250 Farm Bureau Bank gift card from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Companies.