He calls himself a rice farmer, but 2003 Farmer of the Year recipient Robert Thevis grows much more than rice. Thevis farms nearly two thousand acres in Avoyelles Parish raising soybeans, corn, milo, and when the weather allows winter wheat. He finds the freedom to farm alluring.
“You control your own destiny to a certain extent. You have other factors that play into it, but it’s up to you to make it. You make the decision yourself. Right or wrong you live with them,” Thevis says.
The Farmer of the Year is presented on an annual basis at a banquet held at the Lod Cook Activity Center on the LSU campus. The program is primarily sponsored by the Louisiana Agri-News Network, Louisiana Dodge Dealers, Louisiana John Deere Dealers, the LSU AgCenter, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
Thevis is conscious of the environment and uses no-tillage and minimum-tillage techniques to reduce erosion. He also provides wildlife habitat through participation in Operation Quackback. “It’s trying to make the public aware of what farmers are doing to preserve wildlife providing habitat when they’re (ducks) down in Louisiana,” he says.
Thevis is originally from southwest Louisiana and farmed in East Carroll Parish before settling outside of Simmesport. Although his largest acreage is in soybeans, he is true to his roots and considers himself a rice farmer first. “I’m a rice farmer at heart. And rice I guess is my true love. It’s just a challenge to get it growing and a beautiful crop to watch it grow. Rice has been good to us over the years,” says Thevis.
Joe Mitcham, Jr. of Ruston and Joseph Beatty of Heflin were the other finalists for the award. Mitcham main crop is peaches grown on nearly one hundred acres. He also raises plums, and beginning this year will be planting kiwi, pineapple guava, and fall raspberries. To help market his product, Mitcham has opened a store that markets peach jams, jellies, desserts, and even a peach salsa.
Beatty oversees approximately 850 acres of prime timber country in Webster and Bienville parishes. He is an active member of the Louisiana Forestry Association and is President of the Heflin Volunteer Fire Department. He is a proponent of Best Management Practices (BMPs). By implementing BMPs, Beatty reduces runoff in streams and improves the aesthetics of his timber operation.