(01/08/26) ALEXANDRIA, La. — The Louisiana Master Farmer Program is celebrating a quarter century of educating agricultural producers and others involved in the industry about conservation strategies that benefit both the environment and farming operations.

The latest graduates of the program — along with those who have completed recertification and the 2025 Outstanding Master Farmer — were honored at a Jan. 8 ceremony held during the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting in Alexandria.

“Nine Louisiana producers are being honored today for their exceptional conservation efforts and steadfast dedication to sustainability through the Louisiana Master Farmer Program,” said Donna Gentry, coordinator of the program. “This year marks the program’s 25th anniversary, a testament to its enduring success and impact. With their certification, these producers join the ranks of 381 others who have achieved certification or recertification since 2006, continuing a legacy of responsible stewardship and agricultural excellence.”

The program, which is led by the LSU AgCenter, was created in 2001 to help farmers protect natural resources while maintaining productivity. To earn the title of Master Farmer, participants must attend educational sessions and write conservation plans for their farms that incorporate research-based management practices.

After graduation, Master Farmers are required to log continuing education hours, and they go through a certification process every five years.

Experts from the AgCenter teach many of the sessions. Representatives of the Louisiana Farm Bureau, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association and U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service also contribute to the program.

“This is just an example of, to me, what’s great about Louisiana agriculture,” Mike Salassi, director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station and executive associate vice president of the AgCenter, said during the award ceremony. He noted the significance of so many organizations coming together to advance conservation principles.

“We all have different roles and functions in our daily jobs, but we all follow the same mission and goal — and that’s to make production agriculture economically profitable and environmentally sustainable in the future,” he said.

The Master Farmer program has grown to be one of the best producer education programs in the country and has earned national recognition, Salassi said. It recently won the 2025 Conservation Innovation Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

“Every state doesn’t have this,” said Mike Strain, state agriculture and forestry commissioner. “Other states look at us to see how we do it, why we do it.”

As global food demands increase, Louisiana farmers have an important role to play, Strain said. To meet those ever-growing needs in the face of various economic and environmental challenges, stewardship-minded management methods like those taught in the Master Farmer program are critical.

“We’ve got to focus on efficiency,” he said. “We’ve got to focus on conservation, sustainability.”

“The certified Master Farmer program represents exactly what modern conservation looks like,” said Sarah Trichel, acting state conservationist with the NRCS. “It’s producer driven. It’s science based. And it’s a representation of reaching for a goal and taking your operation to the next level, being willing to identify resource concerns and look to see what you can do to be a better steward of your operation.”

Richard Fontenot, Louisiana Farm Bureau president, said initiatives like the Master Farmer program are ensuring the continued success of the state’s agriculture sector.

“As a fourth-generation farmer, what does the fifth, sixth look like?” he said. “It looks like this. This is the cornerstone. This is the opportunity to have sustainability and conservation and production agriculture for the future.”

The most recent graduates of the program are Marc Grabert, of New Iberia; Max Grabert, of New Iberia; Patrick Frischhertz, of Plaquemine; John Terrell, of Keithville; and Patrick Roberson, of Oak Grove.

Master Farmers who were recognized for completing recertification are Julie Richard, of Kaplan; Christian Richard, of Kaplan; Clay Robertson, of Alexandria; and Tommy Roberson, of Oak Grove.

Wiliam “Bart” Dobson, a cattle, hay and row crop producer from Bossier Parish, was named the 2025 Outstanding Master Farmer. This award, sponsored by Louisiana Land Bank and Gowan Company, has been given since 2008.

“He is dedicated to soil conservation by planting cover crops, implementing crop rotations, maintaining minimal tillage practices and following LSU AgCenter best management practices,” Gentry said of Dobson, who also serves on the AgCenter Red River Research Station Extension Planning Committee.

The Louisiana Master Farmer Program recognized its most recent graduates and participants who have completed recertification during a ceremony Jan. 8 in Alexandria. Pictured, from left, are Patrick Frischhertz, a farmer from Plaquemine; Mark Simon, of the St. Martin Soil and Water Conservation District, who accepted graduation certificates on behalf of Marc Grabert and Max Grabert, both of New Iberia; Richard Fontenot, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau; Mike Salassi, director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station; William “Bart” Dobson, who was named the 2025 Outstanding Master Farmer; Christian Richard and Julie Richard, who farm in Kaplan; Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry; and Sarah Trichel, acting state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

William “Bart” Dobson, center, a cattle, hay and row crop producer from Bossier Parish, was recognized as the 2025 Outstanding Master Farmer during a Jan. 8 ceremony in Alexandria. He’s pictured with, from left, Robert Crotty, of Louisiana Land Bank; Richard Fontenot, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau; Mike Salassi, director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station; Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry; and Sarah Trichel, acting state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, speaks during a Louisiana Master Farmer Program award ceremony Jan. 8 in Alexandria. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Mike Salassi, director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, speaks during a Louisiana Master Farmer Program award ceremony Jan. 8 in Alexandria. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Richard Fontenot, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau, speaks during a Louisiana Master Farmer Program award ceremony Jan. 8 in Alexandria. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter