BATON ROUGE, LA – The Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter and College of Agriculture hosted their second annual AgExcellence Awards Ceremony last Friday to celebrate leaders whose contributions have significantly advanced the LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture's mission.
Among those honored were Louisiana rice farmer Michael Frugé; Andy Brown, rice commodity and public policy director at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation; and, Adam Famoso, director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station in Crowley. Frugé and Famoso are graduates of the Rice Leadership Development Program and Brown is a member of the program’s current class.
Frugé was named Outstanding LSU Ag Alum, for his lifelong commitment to agriculture, innovation, and leadership. A second-generation farmer from Eunice, Louisiana, he graduated from LSU in 2005 with a degree in agronomy and a minor in ag business. More than a farmer, Frugé is an entrepreneur. In 2019, he launched Parish Rice, a specialty variety developed with the LSU AgCenter, offering higher protein and lower glycemic levels.
Brown received the Friend of the College Award for his exemplary leadership and significant contributions and service to the College of Agriculture.
Famoso was recognized for his work on the development of a new herbicide-tolerant rice cultivar, PVL02, that offers an innovative solution for managing weeds in rice fields.
“All three of these award winners represent the best of the U.S. rice industry,” said Dr. Steve Linscombe, who was a rice breeder and later director at the Rice Research Station
and is now director of the Rice Leadership Development Program. “Their work in farming, advocacy, and research are second to none and we’re very proud of their accomplishments.”