Who is Class XIII? (Part 1)
By Mike Danna
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Public Relations Director
It’s amazing what hours on a bus will do for your interpersonal disposition.
Every AgLeadership international trip involves riding on buses to get to the next destination. That down time usually gives me a chance to get to know the class members. Some I’ve known for years; others I’m meeting for the first time. But each member has, so far, left a distinct impression on me.
Like me, Derek Albert is a farm journalist. There aren’t too many of us, so when I meet one the conversation always turns to media trends and how farm writers can best influence our readers, viewers and listeners on the importance of agriculture.
Derek has been writing for years for various farm publications and has a keen sense of agricultural news judgment. And he should; Derek is also a farmer. He says his hours on the tractor give him time to think about new ways to approach his craft. After this trip I definitely want to incorporate his expertise into our PR efforts.
George Crawford is a forester for Soterra. His fellow classmates were giving him grief yesterday during the rain forest tour, joking that what George was really seeing there was furniture. All joking aside George apparently has traveled the country managing timber resources and fully understands that balancing resources is the key to any industry, especially timber.
Tommy Crooks is a sales rep for Crop Production Services. It’s obvious Tommy has been around the block. A soft-spoken man who works with lots of row crop operations, Tommy has a broad understanding of agriculture from both sides of the cash register. And on a side note Tommy snagged a piece of teak he fashioned into a walking stick and carried it until we were about to depart from Nicaragua. Customs confiscated it. I know he felt bad.
Beekeeper Randy Fair helped us out during our “TWILA Reporting for Duty” series. Fellow Class 13 member A.J. Sabine profiled Randy during the segment and I found out along this trip that Randy is a man of the world. A Vietnam vet, Randy led guided hunts in Colorado, hunted big game in New Zealand and has a passion for beekeeping. His wife Susie is traveling with him and they’re a joy to talk with.
Brandon Gravois was one of last year’s finalists for the Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award. His class members are constantly dogging him out because his use of colloquialisms, what they call “Knowledge de Gravois.” But five minutes with the guy and you realize he’s a big-picture person. A sugar grower by trade, he’s been trying to break into the big time world of tobacco (his family farm is one of the few in the state to grow Perique) and I’m convinced his business plan is on the verge of success. You’ll be hearing a lot more of Brandon in the future.
Theresia Lavergne is a poultry specialist who’s on the fast track with the LSU AgCenter. Dr. Lavergne, a self-admitted introvert, said her time in the AgLeadership program has helped her expand her knowledge of agriculture and her knowledge of herself. Even though she’s traveled the world Theresia said this trip has opened her eyes things like food safety and vertical integration. One day the Third World may thank Dr. Lavergne for her input.
Kristin McLaren is the assistant executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. The market-savvy journalism graduate had her work cut out for her following the 2010 BP oil spill. The seafood industry took it on the chin big time, but with McLaren’s market development skills on the job, the industry couldn’t have a better ally to return Louisiana seafood to national prominence.
Barret Olivier is a biologist who also happens to be a farmer. That skill set is necessary for running his 2,000-acre grain and crawfish farm. The Olivier family has been a prominent one in St. Landry and much of his expertise was obviously honed after generations of production techniques. The guy’s funny as hell too. Just ask him.
Chris Patout, the operations manager of A&S Farms, Patch Farms and Patch Equipment seems to be a guy in constant motion. He farms and also works as a field scout for Eldridge Ag Services. Chris and I picked up some killer Panama hats in the Canal Zone and the guy wears it well. He’s also the only guy who can give Barret Olivier a run for this money. “Panama!”
Simeon Patout and his wife Nina are a young couple who typify what Louisiana agriculture needs more of; young people ready to take the reigns of an industry on the verge of massive social and economic change. I’m convinced that in the next 20 years agriculture will be looked at in much the same way the computer industry was looked at 40 years ago. Its time is coming and the Patout family will be out front. Way out front.
Ashley Peters knows what it’s like to be responsible for one’s own destiny. As a self-employed crop consultant, Peters, of Crowville, is a one-man-band. That takes guts today, particularly where there are dozens of crop consultants, whole companies even, who get paid to help farmers do their jobs better. Farmers have to be able to trust their consultants and Ashley is working hard to earn that trust with producers across Northeast Louisiana.
I met Jeremy Raley’s brother Matt in Class 12 and the two share a world of expertise when it comes to the grain trade. A former grain merchant for Raley Bros., Jeremy now works with Big River Rice and Grain. At the Panama Canal I interviewed him about Louisiana’s role in the world grain trade. The guy is definitely jacked into the grain scene with the volume cranked to 11. He’s a young gun out to make his mark in a world demanding more food to feed a growing global population.
It’s a pleasure getting to know all these folks. I’ve been covering ag for the last 29 years and am glad these professionals have chosen to be a part of what I consider the most noble of professions. Class acts one and all.
Until next time…