The 87th International Rice Festival will recognize Christian Charles Leonards as the 2024 Junior Farmer of the Year. This year’s festival will be held October 17th to October 20th in downtown Crowley.
Christian is the 18-year-old son of Bryan and Nancy Leonards of Crowley. He has two sisters, Grace and Emma. He is the grandson of Carol Leonards and the late Lawrence Leonards of Crowley and Sammy and Cindy McDaniel of Iota. Christian and his family live on their farm between Crowley and Iota, consisting of 2,200 acres of rice and crawfish.
Christian is currently a senior at Iota High School and will graduate in May 2025. Christian has been an active Iota High FFA chapter member since his freshman year with this being his fourth year serving as an officer. He is a member of livestock judging as well as horse judging. Christian has attended both state and national FFA conventions.
Christian has shown pigs since he was 9 years old, competing at parish, district, and state levels. His most significant accomplishment occurred in January of 2024 when he won both Acadia Parish Grand Champion Market Swine and Supreme Champion Commercial Gilt. Christian plans to continue livestock judging and showing pigs during his senior year as well as participating in FFA grain production.
Christian is a sixth-generation farmer. Growing up on the family farm has helped Christian learn the duties and responsibilities of a farmer from a young age. Some of his many responsibilities include spraying levees and ditches, maintaining equipment, bush hogging, land preparation, and operating the grain cart during harvest season. Upon graduating, Christian plans to continue to work with his dad on the family farm, while also starting his own farm that will consist of 80 acres of rice and 50 acres of crawfish.
When Christian is not working on the farm with his dad, he enjoys working with his cattle. Christian’s love for cattle is passed down to him from his late grandfather. Christian has registered his own brand and plans to continue growing the cattle operation that his grandfather helped him to start.
Christian is an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Iota.
Christian was chosen by the USDA Farm Service Agency from a group of young deserving men and women nominated by FFA/Ag Teachers of Acadia Parish Schools.
The International Rice Festival takes place every third full weekend of October each year down the historic streets of Crowley Mainstreet. For more updates and information, visit www.ricefestival.com.
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