The 87th International Rice Festival will recognize Bradley Reed as the 2024 Festival Honoree. Reed will be honored at the annual Rice Festival Queen’s Ball and Honoree Social on October 12th and will join the Presidential Party to celebrate the 2024 Festival the weekend of October 17th through 20th in downtown Crowley.
Bradley was raised among the rice and crawfish fields between Iota and Mowata and is the son of Norman and Janet (Bit) Lejeune Reed. He is a graduate of the Iota High School Class of 1980. Bradley is married to his wife of 37 years, Jacquelyn Miller Reed and together they have four children, Seth Felix, Melanie Rose Stracener, April Alexandra Toti and Phillip Ignatius and six grandchildren.
Bradley’s father began ag flying in 1962 and purchased their first ag plane in 1968, starting Reed Flying Service. Following in his father’s footsteps, Bradley began his ag flying career in 1981. In 1988, he established Reed Aviation, leasing Reed Flying Service aircraft, facility, and equipment. Over the 103 years of Ag Aviation, the Reeds have been serving the rice industry of this area for 62 of those years. Their business has also been located on 120-year-old family land for the past fifty-six years.
Bradley is a member of the Iota/Egan Lions Club, Louisiana Agricultural Aviation Association (LAAA) and National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA).
The International Rice Festival would like to thank Bradley and his family for their many years of service in the rice industry. For more updates and information, visit www.ricefestival.com.
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