Avoyelles Parish Teen Wins Louisiana Farm Bureau Talk Meet

By Bobby Soileau, Ph.D.

LSU AgCenter

Andrew Dauzat, a 16-year-old student at the Louisiana School for Agricultural Sciences in Avoyelles Parish, won the Talk Meet Contest at the 102nd Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 28.

Dauzat, who will enter his junior year in high school this fall, and 10 other contestants delivered a 5-minute or shorter speech on the following topic: How can Farm Bureau help sustain American agriculture?

Dauzat talked about the declining number of farmers in the nation. “The number of farmers in the U.S. is at its lowest since the reconstruction era after the Civil War,” said Dauzat. He also talked about how challenging it is for young people to become a farmer unless they grow up on a farm.

So, what can Farm Bureau do? Dauzat discussed internships and other opportunities that Farm Bureau could do to encourage youth to choose agriculture as a career.

“The world needs a lot more farmers, especially with this growing population,” said Dauzat. In addition, he discussed the need for Farm Bureau to help educate farmers with the changing technology. “Only 27% of the U.S. farmers are using precision agriculture to manage their crops,” said Dauzat.

Dauzat is the son of Derek and Kristin Dauzat. He is active with 4-H and FFA, and plans to pursue a degree in agriculture at LSU once he graduates from high school.

He also works with his father and grandfather in agriculture. “I’m a fourth-generation farmer,” said Dauzat. “We have soybeans, corn and milo. I also work for my grandfather who has a cattle and hay farm.”

Dauzat won $250 for his first-place finish. “I’m very excited and very proud I could represent my parish in this way,” said Dauzat. “I worked hard on this and when you see hard work pay off it’s a really nice feeling.”

Finishing second in the contest and claiming a $150 prize was Camille Sonnier from Jefferson Davis Parish. Alex Cayde Gordon of Sabine Parish finished third and received a $100 prize.