Sabine Parish Cattle Rancher Named Outstanding Farm Woman

By Kristen Oaks-White

NEW ORLEANS—A Sabine Parish cattle producer is this year’s Outstanding Young Farm Woman.

Sadie Meshell, 29, received the award at the Louisiana Farm Bureau 101st Annual Convention in New Orleans on June 22.  

“Winning this award means I have reached a milestone: I am being recognized as a true cattleman,” Meshell says. “I was told I couldn’t do what I do alone and yet here I am proving to women you can run an operation. This recognition has given me the confidence to push my boundaries within my operation. I’m looking into diversification options, land leasing opportunities and, of course, the purchase of more cattle.”

A first-generation cattle producer, Meshell says she was raised on her grandparents’ farm and always dreamed of continuing that way of life.

“It’s a slower pace lifestyle with a lot of high-quality people living it,” Meshell says. “I enjoy the simple things in life and put all of myself into anything I am trying to achieve.”

However, “slower pace” does not accurately describe her current lifestyle.

In addition to her daily work on the farm, Meshell also serves her local community as an ag teacher, FFA advisor, and softball coach.

Meshell knows her role as a female rancher makes her a minority in the industry, but it’s a title she accepts with pride.

“I hope my story encourages other women to reach for their goals on their own terms, and not rely on others to make dreams a reality. Women are strong, women are capable, and women are future leaders of the ag industry.”

As the 2023 Outstanding Young Farm Woman Award winner, Meshell received a $2,000 cash award from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, a trip to the American Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Leadership Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, a $500 cash award by BASF, and two $250 cash awards courtesy of Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Companies.

Founded in 1921, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization representing more than 142,000 member families.