Vermilion Parish Named Top Farm Bureau at 103rd Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention
By Avery J. Davidson and Neil Melançon
Louisiana Farm Bureau News
For the sixth straight year, the Vermilion Parish Farm Bureau captured the President’s Award, the highest honor given by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation during the organization’s Annual Awards night at the 103rd Annual Convention.
The President’s Award recognizes the parish Farm Bureau excelling in membership, advocacy and communications over the past year. Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot presented the award to Vermilion Parish Farm Bureau President Bryan Simon Thursday night at the New Orleans Marriott.
Also winning big Thursday night were Frankie and Mallory Sotile of Ascension Parish, who received the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award. The Sotiles grow sugarcane on their farm outside Donaldsonville.
The Achievement Award recognizes farmers and ranchers aged 35 an under who have thriving operations and a strong involvement in Farm Bureau. Prizes for the Achievement Award include $35,000 cash from the Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, an all-expense paid trip to the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim, California, as well as other cash prices.
The Discussion Meet is an opportunity for Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers to show their skills at tackling topics in a group setting, much like at a governmental meeting. The topic for the final round of this year’s Discussion Meet focused on how farmers and ranchers can effectively advance environmental stewardship while balancing the needs of their farms.
The judges named Abbygail Davis of St. Tammany Parish the winner of 2025 Discussion Meet. Abbygail received a John Deere Gator utility vehicle, courtesy of the Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, an all-expense paid trip to the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim, California, as well as other cash prices.
Randi Toups of Lafourche Parish is the winner of the 2025 Louisiana Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture award. The award is designed to recognize Young Farmers and Ranchers who do not derive the majority of their income from an owned agricultural operation but are actively contributing and growing through their involvement in Farm Bureau and the agriculture industry.
For winning, Toups received $7,500 toward the purchase of a 4-wheel ATV, courtesy of Louisiana Land Bank, an all-expense paid trip to the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim, California, as well as other cash prices.
Courtney Gerace of St. Landry Parish is the 2025 Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Outstanding Young Farm Woman. Courtney and her husband, Nicholas, grow sugarcane and raise cattle outside Melville, Louisiana.
For winning, Gerace received a $2,000 cash prize from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance, an all-expense paid trip to the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference in Portland, Oregon, as well as other cash prices.
The Louisiana Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom committee recognized Kessler Landry as the 2025 Teacher of the Year. Landry is an instructional leader at Martial F. Billeaud Elementary in Broussard, Louisiana. The AITC committee gives the honor every year to a teacher who does an exemplary job of incorporating agriculture into lesson plans.
Landry received an all-expense paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an iPad and $500 cash from the Louisiana Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.
The 103rd Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention continues through Sunday, June 29 at the New Orleans Marriott.
For more information, visit www.lfbfconvention.org.
Founded in 1921, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization representing more than 145,000 member families.