East Feliciana Parish Couple Wins Nation’s Top Young Farmer Award

Jan 09, 2018

By: Avery Davidson

Russell and Amelia Kent of East Feliciana Parish are the 2018 American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award Winners. They are the winners of a new Ford truck, courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance, and will also receive paid registration to the AFBF YF&R Leadership Conference in Reno, Nevada, Feb. 16-19.

“I’m still in shock,” Amelia Kent said shortly after winning the award, “It’s humbling and hasn’t completely sunk in yet.”

The Kents raise cattle and custom cut hay in East Feliciana and Tangipahoa Parishes. The couple also direct markets custom, grass-fed beef, provide beef to restaurants and to a Baton Rouge based meal kit service.

The Kents qualified to compete on the national level after winning the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award in June, 2017. For winning that competition, Russell and Amelia received $35,000 toward the purchase of a Ford truck, along with other prizes.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization representing more than 140,000 member families.

Source: Louisiana Farm Bureau

Video: California Farm Bureau 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Contest Winner - Willy - CAFB 107th Annual Meeting

Meet Willy: California Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farm Dog of the Year!

We’re excited to introduce Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund with a big heart and even bigger courage, and the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest!

Willy may be small, but he’s become an indispensable partner on owner Marshal Hagedorn’s forestry and cattle operations in Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou counties. Adopted in 2023, he quickly found his place on the ranch, helping manage critters, tagging along for long days in the woods, and offering unwavering companionship during demanding logging work.

Willy has even taken naturally to moving cattle, surprising calves (and more than a few full-grown cows!) with his burst of energy from the tall grass. As Marshal put it: “He goes with me everywhere every single day.”

Congratulations to Willy and his family, a perfect example of how every good farm dog, no matter the size, helps keep California agriculture running strong.