Achievement Award
2025 Louisiana Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award
Winner Announced at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Awards Program
New Orleans Marriott
Thursday, June 26 at 5:30 p.m.
The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers hosts four contests that highlight the strengths of today’s young farmers. From recognizing outstanding achievement in production agriculture to highlighting those involved in Farm Bureau, these contests offer an opportunity to recognize the best of Louisiana’s young farmers.
The YF&R Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievement in production agriculture and leadership achievement. The ideal candidate(s) for the Achievement Award is an individual or couple involved in production agriculture with a majority of his/her gross income subject to normal production risks.
2024 Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award WINNERS
Aaron and Jamie Lee, Vermilion Parish Sugarcane, Livestock, Rice & Crawfish Farmers
YF&R Achievement Award Finalists
Frankie and Mallory Sotile run a fourth-generation sugarcane farm in Ascension Parish. With land loss to industrial expansion and tight margins, they’re rethinking how they farm—incorporating technology and efficiency to keep the operation viable. As one of three finalists for the 2025 YF&R Achievement Award, their story highlights what it takes to stay competitive in modern agriculture.
In Union Parish, Dylan and Shelby Laster are raising more than chickens and cattle—they’re raising a legacy. On their third-generation farm, the Lasters combine modern technology with hands-on hard work to produce over 3.6 million pounds of chicken a year, while growing their cattle herd alongside. As finalists for the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award, they’re proud to share their passion for agriculture with their three daughters and hope to pass it on to the next generation.