Rotary Honors Farmers
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Three St. Landry Parish farmers whose lives have been embedded in the soil, were recognized on Tuesday by the Opelousas Rotary Club.
Cattle farmer Scott Morain, crawfish farmer Stephen Quebedeaux and Kyle Stelly, who farms over 1,000 acres of crop varieties, were presented with plaques during the weekly meeting by club members Andy Chautin and Mike Ortego.
The annual 2025 salute by the club to parish farmers, Ortego said, recognizes the contributions that the agricultural industry makes to the parish economy as well as providing a vital industry nationwide.
“What our farmers do is essential,” said Ortego, who indicated that his family lineage includes relatives who farmed land in the Grand Prairie region of St. Landry and the Tate Cove area of Evangeline Parish.
Ortego pointed to the dedication farmers provide in addition to their love of the land, the crops they grow and the animals they raise.
Scott Morain
Ortego said Morain is noted for his black angus cattle. As a youth, Morain pointed out in his written biography that he developed an affinity for cattle while competing in roping competitions at youth rodeos.
Morain wrote that he spent 33 years working offshore in the oil industry and after his retirement, Morain began cultivating what he said was a return to his roots, which included raising cattle.
Kyle Stelly
Stelly, the Farmer of the Year, has been working acreage since 2012, three years after he graduated from Beau Chene High.
Apparently Chautin pointed out, Stelly was naturally adept at farming, an occupation that has been in his family for four generations.
Stelly became accustomed to farming working with two of the generations. Stelly now oversees 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans and crawfish.
Stephen Quebedeaux
Quebeaux has been farming for 15 years, according to Chautin.
In addition to farming 300 acres of rice, soybeans and corn, Quebedeaux also raises cattle and operates a store.
Farming Outlook
Vincent Deshotel, who works with the farming community in 10 parishes, said the 21st century farming community handles an industry that is experiencing difficulties.
“Farming right now is no easy task. It’s tough for the rice farmers, since there is no market for rice in 2026 and the cattle market is expensive to operate,” Deshotel noted.
Deshotel added that current farming operations are faced with a number of difficulties. Economically the production costs and expenses for the purchases and maintenance of machinery is also rising, Deshotel said.
Brittany Zaunbrecher, who represents the St. Landry Parish extension service through the LSU-Ag Center, was introduced to the Rotarians as the parish agricultural liaison.
