The 87th International Rice Festival will honor Troy Fruge as the 2024 IRF Farmer of the Year.
Fruge began farming independently during his senior year of high school in 1983. Starting with 105 acres of rice, 40 acres of crawfish, and 40 acres of soybeans, Fruge now operates 3,400 acres of rice and crawfish and 200 acres of soybeans in northwest Acadia Parish.
Recognizing the need to preserve na...